The characters do not belong to us.
Chapter Fourteen
Anna came bounding into the room that afternoon. After several moments of hugs, she asked questions that made Sasha's head spin and Maura talk a mile a minute.
"How's my beautiful girl?" Sasha asked.
"Okay. I wrote a lot. I finished my new story."
"That's great," Sasha responded. "I want to read it as soon as you're ready."
"You better. I want you to play one of the main characters. Named after the best medical examiner in all the world."
"How wonderful! I'd love that!"
Maura laughed. "Of course!"
Sasha grinned at them both. "What can I say, Anna knows me."
Maura's first trip out of the house since returning home was not going well. For the first time since this whole thing began Sasha felt calm, with the new app on the iPad. It was Maura freaking out, unable to go through the door to see Kate. Even with Jane talking her down, Sasha's heart broke at Maura's terrified bouts of protest.
After thirty minutes, Maura was able to walk through the door to talk to Kate. She found that it was an action to be rewarded by what she found inside. Kate greeted her with the usual ASL but then she gave Maura the biggest surprise ever.
"Hi, Maura. I've missed you." Kate spoke. "I was hoping you'd come to see me."
Maura's eyes grew as big as saucers.
"She's been practicing for days," Abby said from where she sat next to Kate's chair. "We've been singing, haven't we, Kate?"
Kate nodded. "Y-yes."
"You're amazing and I'm so proud of you." Maura hugged Kate tightly. "Sasha will be so happy." She pulled out her phone and brought up the walkie talkie app. "Sash, you there? Someone has something to say to you."
"That is so great!" Maura was pleased. She spoke into the phone to her sister. "Here she is now."
She handed the phone to Kate. "Hi, Sasha!"
"Hi, Kate!" Sasha was elated to hear her cousin's voice. Again, she thought.
"You sound just like us," Maura observed.
"Tell your sister thank you for loaning us all the CDs," Abby commented. "They helped her sing and that made it easier to talk. Kate and Sasha have the same taste in music. It's very neat."
"I lik-lik-" Kate's face scrunched up in frustration and she let out a whimper.
"Take your time, Kate. It's okay," Maura said gently.
Kate shook her head, tears filling her eyes.
"Maura?" Sasha's voice came from the phone.
Maura spoke quietly into the phone. "She's still experiencing difficulty speaking and some aphasia."
"Oh." Sasha sounded disappointed. "Maura, are you coming home?"
"Yes. I'll be home soon. I want to make sure Kate is okay."
"I love you, Kate," Sasha said and Maura smiled at the smile on Kate's face.
"Don't worry about the words, Kate," Maura said. "They will come. Keep singing. I hear you have a great voice."
"T-thank you," Kate said. "I-I love S-Sasha, too." Maura could tell that Kate was tired.
"She knows. I promise she knows. Let's get you into bed, okay?" With Jane's help, they got Kate settled. "I love you, too, and I'll see you tomorrow."
"Thank you," Kate said as they prepared to leave.
At home, Sasha was elated at Kate's progress in their absence.
"I think if we visited more, well, if you visited more, she'd do even better too!" She didn't sound upset about not going herself. "Abby said we can do video chat."
"You can. She's sleeping now." Maura sat down next to her. "I'm sorry about earlier. I freaked. I'm not handling any of this very well. I know you don't want me to leave you and I freak every time I walk out that door." She intertwined their fingers. "We have PTSD. I'm a medical examiner. I don't have the training to fix this."
"Aunt Elise might," Sasha suggested. "She's mentioned it to me before."
"I'll look into it," Maura promised. Behind her Kaylee squealed and she turned to find Jane holding her.
"There's Mommy," Jane cooed and kissed Kaylee's cheek. "You two okay?"
Maura took her daughter from Jane. "We're okay. Just discussing PTSD."
Jane understood. "If anyone has any ideas on how to get rid of PTSD, tell me."
"How are you feeling?" Jane asked, joining Maura on the bed. "Did the app work today with Maura not here?"
"Yes, it did," Sasha declared. "It was great. I could hear Maura and Kate so well. I still can't get over her speaking! She sounds like Maura and I as much as she looks like us."
"Identical cousins," Maura said. "Just like England's King George V and Nicholas II of Russia. Except we have better family loyalty. George refused Nicholas asylum in England during the Bolshevik revolution, unfortunately resulting in the death of Nicholas and his family."
Jane shook her head. "Googlemouth never stops. But I love you for it. I'm glad your family isn't like the Bolsheviks."
"But it was George who was disloyal to his cousin," Maura said.
Jane became increasingly worried about Maura. Since visiting Kate she didn't leave the house except to get Kaylee from Angela or check the mail. When she entered Sasha's house on her lunch hour, instead of the usual music coming from Sasha's or the tv, raised voices came from the sunroom.
"Maura, you're her mother. You need to be at that appointment. You went to see Kate just last week."
"No. I can't. I can't go. Kate-that was different. You-you take her. Take Kaylee."
"Maura-" Hope tried again.
"I said no," Maura snapped. "I'm not going. Go. You'll be late."
Hope sighed. There was no use in reasoning with Maura. She would have to talk to Elise about this situation. But, for now, she had an appointment for Kaylee.
"Maura." Jane caught Maura's arm. "What's going on? Why don't you want to go to your daughter's doctor's appointment?"
"I can't. I can't go. I can't leave. If I leave I might not come back and Sasha will be all alone and I can't leave her again. I might hurt her again. Something in my brain might b-be messed up. Like Kate." Her words slurred together and Jane's head hurt trying to follow it all. "I can't hurt Sasha or you or Kaylee. I have to stay here. I have to protect her. If I leave, Sasha will die, and I have to protect her."
"Sasha will be fine, honey," Jane reassured Maura. Hope nodded in agreement.
"I'll be here with your sister," she said.
But their words didn't penetrate Maura in the least.
"No, I can't go. That's it, I'm not leaving this house," she cried.
Jane watched with a sigh as Maura disappeared into Sasha's bedroom. "I'm worried about her. About them both. Maura seems worse than Sasha. At the hospital, it was Sasha who couldn't stand when Maura left. It's the other way around now. I don't get it."
Hope put an arm around Jane. "I don't know, but I'm going to do everything I can to help both of them."
Jane pressed an ear to the closed door. Laughter came from inside.
"Sasha, you're tangled in your IV. And put some socks on," Maura said.
"Well, you're the one touching me with cold hands," Sasha replied.
"Stop touching me with your cold feet," Maura replied.
"I'll get you some socks," Maura offered.
Sasha frowned. "I hate socks. You know that."
"But you need to keep warm or you'll get an infection. I'm sure you want to stay out of the hospital, don't you?" Maura asked as she foraged the drawer.
"Of course not," Sasha capitulated to Maura's desire. "Notice I didn't argue with Mother about the second IV."
"Very true." The drawer slammed shut. "You have no socks." The door opened before Jane could move out of the way. "Very clever, detective. Eavesdropping?"
Jane sighed, following Maura through the house. "First off, was that sarcasm, doctor?"
Maura looked at her. "I believe it was." She folded her arms. "I love you, Jane, I do but you're not going to talk me into leaving this house. Leaving yesterday was a mistake. Sasha needed me and I wasn't here. Now is one of you going to take Kaylee for her checkup or do I need to do it myself?" When no one answered, she took the baby from Hope. "Never mind. I'll do it. Mom, Sasha got herself tangled in her IV's again. I need help untangling them." She looked to Jane. "We'll be fine. Go to work."
Jane felt reluctant but went anyway. She wouldn't do any good arguing. Maura would just dig her heels in deeper.
By afternoon, Jane couldn't concentrate and went to the rehab center to see Kate. She didn't want to burden the woman with Maura's issues but Jane could see the disappointment when Kate realized Maura wasn't with her.
"Maura?" she asked softly.
Jane sighed, not sure how to explain it without upsetting Kate. "Maura will be here when she feels better. She caught a bug." Yeah, huge lie. Huge huge lie. Kate didn't look convinced. At all.
"Something is wrong," Kate said.
Jane didn't even try to lie this time. "She's having some separation issues from Sasha."
Kate nodded. "When I met them at the lodge, it was clear that they were close."
"Maura won't leave the house. I'm sorry, Kate. We're doing all we can. I know you miss them."
"I want-w-want to help," Kate answered. Her fingers gripped Jane's. "I w-w-" She gave a frustrated groan.
"Take your time. You miss them?"
Kate nodded and her face relaxed. "See them," she said. "W-want to see t-them."
"We can take care of that right now," Jane said and smiled when Kate's face lit up. She looked to the nurse who stood by the door. "Is that okay?"
"More than okay. I'll be back in a few minutes to take her to her last session of the day." The nurse left the room.
Jane pulled the iPad out of her bag. "We can video chat."
Kate's face lit up and she nodded.
"Now please don't be alarmed by Sasha's appearance. Hope has her on a nasal cannula since she's been sick. IVs too. Please don't worry. Hope has it under control and is taking great care of her."
Kate nodded and pointed to the iPad. "I am ready," she said.
At the house Maura tried without success to calm a screaming Kaylee. Hope had taken her for a checkup and she'd not stopped crying.
"Come on baby girl," Maura urged gently, bouncing her lightly as she paced around living room. "What's the matter?" Hope had assured her that everything went fine at the doctor but that she'd been given a shot. "I know you don't like shots, sweet girl." She held her close. "Let's go see Aunt Sasha."
"Is she okay?" Sasha asked when Maura came into the room.
Not sure what else to do, Maura laid Kaylee down next to Sasha. "She hates me. She won't stop."
"She doesn't hate you. You're her mother." Sasha turned so she was on her side. "Hey sweet girl." A beeping sound came from her iPad. "That's FaceTime. Who would be calling me?"
Maura passed Sasha the iPad and took Kaylee into her arms again. "Come on, baby girl, whatever is wrong, I'll fix it."
Kate appeared on the screen. "Hi, Maura and Sasha!" Her voice was full of enthusiasm as the words came a bit easier. "Thank you, Sasha, for loaning me your CDs. I love them, especially Plumb and Camera Obscura."
Sasha grinned. "You're welcome, Kate."
Abby poked her head into the shot. "She loves singing to them."
"Hi, Kate." Maura sat on the bed with a whimpering Kaylee. "How are you?"
"I am ok," Kate answered. "I miss you."
Maura immediately felt bad. She stared down at her hands. "I'm sorry."
Kate remained silent for a moment. Then she looked intently at her cousin. "I want to help you with everything."
"Thank you," Maura responded. "But I don't know what I need."
"We can help each other," Sasha said. Maura could tell she wanted to say more. "I'm so glad you like the CD's."
Maura tiptoed from the room with Kaylee and went into the nursery. "I don't know what to do, sweet girl. I'm so scared-all the time. I don't know how not to be scared." Maura held her daughter close. "I abandoned you. How can you not hate me for that?" A tear dropped onto Kaylee's head, followed by another and then another. Soon her entire body shook with sobs.
After the video chat was done and Kate's last therapy of the day was finished, Gibbs came into her room. "Hey, beautiful."
Kate smiled and held him close. "It was a great day, but I missed you. Glad you're here."
"Abbs said you video chatted with your cousins."
Kate nodded. "There is something wrong with Maura. She's scared." Tears began to fall from her eyes as she leaned harder into Gibbs. "I want to help."
"Just be your amazing self, and I can check on her if you like." Gibbs wiped her tears gently with his thumb. "No worries, Katie." He sighed as he felt her grow tired in his arms and laid her back on the pillows.
Maura held tightly to Jane's hand, her legs wobbly. Since the talk with Kate two weeks ago she'd tried her hardest to gather the strength to go see her, to leave Sasha. Sasha and Kate talked everyday via video chat and when Kaylee was occupied or napping Maura joined them. Seeing Kate made the guilt and fear return. During the second video chat, she decided to start doing small things to overcome her fear. At first it was staying in the living room or in the nursery or the back porch. But with Jane's encouragement, she was ready to practice walking out the front door.
"I can't. I can't. I want to go back. I can't." Maura clung to Jane.
"Just focus on me. My voice. How you trust me. You know I'd never want you to do anything that was going to hurt you," Jane whispered into Maura's ear.
"But I am. I'm leaving. I'm leaving Kaylee and Sasha."
"Maura, you're not abandoning them. Sasha is just fine and so is Kaylee." She wiped the tears from Maura's cheeks. "I have you. I won't let go."
"I'm abandoning them." Maura sobbed.
"No, you're not. You're walking to the end of the drive and back," Jane said.
"They may need me and I will be gone," Maura lamented.
"Look, Maura, a few more steps. You're not leaving them, honey. They are fine. See?" Jane held up her phone, where Sasha stared back at them.
"It's okay, Maura. I'm okay and Kaylee is right here. We're okay. You can do this."
Maura was heartened by seeing her sister cheering her on as she took the initial steps. She clung to Jane's arm as if it were a lifeline. Finally, she lowered one foot onto the step. Then another. Sasha and Jane watched as if she were crossing the finish line in a marathon.
"I'm so proud of you!" Sasha raved.
"Me too," Jane declared.
For the first time in weeks Maura smiled-a real smile and threw her arms around Jane. Jane's strong arms came around her small frame.
"You're doing so good," she whispered. "You want to continue?"
"You can do it, Maura," Sasha said from Jane's phone. "Go get the mail. I ordered a surprise for you."
Maura found a small box in the mail and opened it to find a silver Tiffany bracelet with her name stamped across the heart. On the back of the heart was the date she and Sasha had met. The rainy night in the coffeehouse. Her eyes teared with gratitude as she put it on.
In a few seconds Maura was back in the house and next to Sasha, her arms around her in a tight embrace. Sasha said nothing and simply held her.
"You did so well," she whispered. "It'll get better."
"I'm scared," Maura answered. "I'm so scared."
"I know," Sasha sympathized. "I've been scared more than I can explain to anyone."
"I just want to stay here and never leave you or Kaylee. I don't know how to not be scared." She fingered her bracelet.
Sasha put her arm around Maura and held her tight. "If there's been anything I learned from this whole clone thing, it's that many things are unknown but it's ok because you have people who love you. That means you can take on anything in the world. Even a blood disease or the underground. Even not knowing who you are. You came to the right place that night. That's why I put the date on the bracelet because it was the beginning of a new life. It's been a strange ride but I wouldn't trade meeting you for anything. Never. And I know you feel the same."
"I do," Maura whispered and rested her head on Sasha's shoulder. "Thank you so much for the bracelet. I'll treasure it for the rest of my life. And you gave me back my life. You brought me back to Jane."
"I'd do it all again," Sasha said. She imagined her life before Maura. It had always felt as if something was missing. She had thought it was from being adopted, but now she knew it had meant so much more.,
"Maura, move! You're laying on my IV. I think it's coming out," Sasha said after a few moments of silence.
Maura checked her sister's IV and saw that it had started to pull out, so she summoned Hope to reinsert it.
"I can't do anything right," Maura muttered. "I mess up everything."
"No. No. Maur, it's okay. I'm okay. It happens. It's not your fault." She brushed away Maura's tears. "Not your fault," she said again.
They fell asleep an hour later. Sasha awoke the next morning to find Maura gone. For a moment, she panicked, but heard her sister's voice. Hope and Maura were talking in the adjoining room that served as a guest bedroom. It relieved Sasha to hear their conversation being of normal topics. Maura had evidently gotten past the idea that she was at fault for everything, or so Sasha hoped.
"You see Bass, sweet girl?" Maura sat on the floor in the kitchen with Kaylee in her lap. She picked Kaylee up and carried her into the living room. She put her down on her hands and knees. "Come on, pretty girl, come to Mommy."
"She'll be crawling really soon, Maura," Hope said. "Then walking. She'll run you ragged."
"I know, and I can't wait!" Maura exclaimed.
Hope smiled. "Bass is fun to have around, too." She was getting used to the menagerie of animals at Sasha's house. Three cats and now one African spurred tortoise.
Maura beamed. "Before Kaylee, he was my only pride and joy. Now I have two."
"Maura, look!" Hope exclaimed.
Maura looked and saw that her daughter was indeed crawling. "That's it, baby girl! Come here. Come to Mommy!"
Kaylee had other ideas and turned, heading straight for Bass. Maura watched as Kaylee examined the tortoise, her little fist knocking on his shell. Maura took out her phone and filmed Kaylee crawling, then sent it to Jane.
Jane laughed when she saw the video because she, too, had not known what to make of Bass upon first meeting him in Maura's kitchen. Knocking on his shell seemed like a logical thing to do in Jane's opinion. "Way to go, Kaylee," Jane remarked with an ornery smile.
"Our girl is now mobile," Maura said, coming into Sasha's room with Kaylee. "Go see Aunt Sasha, sweet girl."
"Come here, Kaylee." Sasha held out her arms and Kaylee crawled across the bed, automatically reaching for Sasha's oxygen tubes.
Sasha gently repositioned the hand reaching for the tubes and took a stuffed animal out from behind the pillows instead. It was a tortoise she'd had Barry pick up for when Kaylee got more active. "See, it's just like Bass, except this is a girl tortoise because she's all pink and purple," Sasha explained. Kaylee was fascinated by the toy because part of its shell was shiny. It was both of her very favorite colors.
Kate laid on her side, exhausted after a day of therapy but not ready to go to sleep. Maura and Sasha had not called and she missed them. She wanted to talk to Sasha more. Wanted to hear Maura's reassurance that she would get out of this hospital and resume her normal life-whatever that ended up being. Gibbs and Abby had gone to get dinner and she was alone for the first time since waking up. But she didn't have time to feel sad or scared before her door was thrust open and Abby rushed into the room.
"You ready for some cuteness?" Abby took her usual seat by the bed. "Maura sent me this and she promised to video chat with you later tonight."
Kate looked up. "What's the cuteness?"
Abby positioned the phone so Kate had a good view.
Kate's eyes filled with tears as she watched Kaylee crawl across what she assumed was the kitchen to Bass. She could hear Maura's voice in the background.
"That is beautiful," Kate said. "When can I chat with Maura and Sasha? And who is the turtle? I don't know him."
Abby laughed. "All in good time, Kate."
Kate nodded. "Okay," she said.
"Just don't ever call Bass a turtle," Abby told Kate. "Maura insists that he's a tortoise. And, she's correct. I know because I looked it up." Abby looked very proud of herself. "Turtles have flat shells and tortoises have domed ones. If you look closely, he is definitely domed. Plus, turtles live in watery environments and tortoises live on land."
Kate watched the video five times more and was in the middle of Abby braiding her hair when Gibbs arrived.
"You-you're l-late," Kate scolded playfully.
"Sorry, sweetheart." Gibbs sat down beside Kate and took her hand.
"Abby's doing my hair. And Maura sent a video of Kaylee and her tortoise, Bass." Kate pointed to the screen. "Would you like to see?"
Gibbs nodded. During the video, he squeezed Kate's hand as she grew teary.
"I want a little girl like that someday," she said.
"We can," Gibbs responded. "You work hard here and we'll be walking down the aisle in no time," he said and have her a kiss.
Once Abby was done with Kate's hair, Gibbs took her into his arms.
"You waited," Kate whispered. "Y-you thought I was dead and y-you waited."
"I love you, Kate. I've never loved anyone more than I love you. You are amazing and inspiring." He kissed her hair.
Kate smiled and leaned into him, feeling secure in Gibbs' strength.