Authors Note:I couldn't sleep until I finished writing this chapter, and although it is shorter than the others, it does answer many questions that were left unanswered from the previous chapters. Hope you enjoy :)
As soon as she opened her eyes she felt extreme pain. She had not expected it to be so terrible, and after reminding herself that this pain was not real she remembered that Jane had also entered with her. After testing her self-strength, she called for her, the second time louder because of a pain that passed through her chest, warnings of a heart attack, she realized.
"I'm here darling, everything is alright." she heard Jane tell her, the pain too much to allow her to put her face up.
"Have you seen him yet?" she managed to ask while tears were filling her eyes. It was too painful to talk, and she even felt the light fade away. She probably had a couple of minutes before the memory ended. She heard Jane from afar talking, barely understanding what they were saying.
"Yeah, I bet you are having the time of your life." Maura chuckled despite the pain, realizing that had to be one of Jane's comment. Desperate to see her she moved up, a blaze of pain cutting through her body, but what was more shocking was watching Jane moving towards the specter, who was just as surprised as her.
"How are you doing that?" she heard it say. Wanting to see more, she moved even further, which made her scream. Jane's gaze fell towards her, concern and fear on her face.
"You better hurry Jane, your girlfriend may not have much time until the old man dies. And from what I remember it was very painful for him." she heard the shadow tell Jane, mocking her and tainting her to do something. Maura wanted to calm her down, to let her know that she was ok, but the pain had become unbearable. As soon as the scream came out of her mouth she saw Jane charge angrily charge the specter and collide with him, dragging her to the floor. Maura was speechless, this was not possible at all.
"You were a specter." Maura heard Jane say before she fell back and started to have seizures.
The darkness was falling upon her, the pain too big and devouring her. It was too hard to stay awake, conscious, but she had to make sure that Jane was alright, that nothing wrong had happened to her. Desperately looking around, she saw Jane squeezing the neck of the specter and making him turn to dust. She would have thought about what she saw, but she knew that it was all going to be over soon. Suddenly, she saw a ray of light appear between the darkness, and focusing deeply on it she managed to see Jane look at her with love and concern. The feeling was too strong, the need to see Jane too strong that it made her become self-aware enough to understand that the specter was gone.
"It's ok darling, it's over, you can let go. Take us back home." she felt Jane kiss her while grabbing her hand. This made her smile and close her eyes, for the first time seeing pure light instead of darkness.
Maura woke up, pain falling through her body as if she had gone through the heart attack herself. Not wanting to open her eyes, she started to move her hands, wanting to at least know where she was. What she didn't expect was the sudden warmth that she felt. She opened her eyes to find herself in the bed of the hotel room that she had booked for Jane and her. Jane, she remembered and instantly got up, only to be stopped by strong hands who were telling her to lay still. Right next to her was the reason of all her sudden emotions, relief on her face.
"Maur, my swee..." she stopped herself before she said something that made Maura feel uncomfortable. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I just got hit by a car." Maura whispered, noticing that Jane had stopped herself from saying something to Maura that was dying to hear. She grabbed her hand. "I'm just so glad to see you are ok Jane."
This made Jane's heart melt, and in a weird gesture she kissed Maura's cheek, lingering a little bit too long. Maura closed her eyes and hummed in deep contentment. She grabbed Jane's hand and squeezed it. Squeezed, Maura thought, remembering what had happened.
"The specter?" Maura whispered.
"Gone." Jane answered, angriness on her voice. "I guess that solves your fellow M.E's case."
Maura nodded. "Jane, what you did there..." she started to say, suddenly being interrupted by Jane.
"I was just so angry Maura. He was enjoying your pain, and that made me react. I don't know why, but I feel very protective of you." Jane said this last part embarrassed. "I don't know how, but it suddenly became easy to move. I know you said it was impossible, and that scares me, but I did it Maura."
Maura was baffled. "I didn't even think that it was possible to grab a specter, and you did Jane. For some strange reason you were able to do so, and without even knowing you were doing it. It is rather fascinating." she continued while sitting and grabbing Jane's arm, moving it around.
Jane laughed. "Are you examining me, Dr. Isles?"
"Perhaps." she answered back flirtingly. She suddenly focused on Jane's neck and softly put her fingers there. "You have a wonderful sternocleidomastoid muscle."
Jane gulped, trying really hard not to close her eyes. "Thank you, I guess?"
Maura looked up and saw Jane holding her face straight. Assuming that she was making her uncomfortable, she started to move away. "I'm sorry Jane, I didn't realize that I was making you uncomfortable."
Jane laughed, dragging Maura back to her arms. "Trust me Maura, that was not what you were doing at all."
Maura took a deep breath, perhaps her earlier experience making her become bolder than what she usually was. She looked at Jane, measuring her, and when she saw expectation in her eyes, she quickly kissed her neck. When Jane stayed quiet she took that as an encouragement and kept trailing kisses on her neck.
"I can't explain it." she said while continuing to kiss Jane. "And I don't know if it is only me, but I have started experiencing these feelings." she whispered while switching to Jane's ear and biting it softly.
Jane whimpered, trying really hard to control herself, desperate to hear what Maura said and to just lose herself under the soft kisses.
"They are so intense, and so fulfilling Jane. They scare me." Maura stopped kissing Jane and looked deeply at her. "I have never felt like this; so protective of someone. I guess what I'm trying to tell you, and although it sounds ridiculous, I think I may be falling for you." she whispered while looking down.
This was all it took, Jane's determination crumbling and the desperation that she had been feeling since the day she met Maura Isles taking the reins. She lifted Maura's face carefully, and after looking at her eyes, she nodded and kissed her lips. The action surprised Maura, but after a few seconds she found herself responding to the kiss. The both of them were desperate to make the other realize how much they had wanted this to happen, how much they felt and how much they had been waiting for it. Jane deepened the kiss, making Maura whimper and softly put her arms around Jane's, who was happily laying down and bringing Maura along with her. Without hesitation Jane took her face and kissed her again, leaving after she stayed out of breath hot kisses on her skin and the beginning of her chest.
"Maura..." Jane whispered while looking up and watching Maura with her eyes closed. "My sweet Maura." she continued to say. "What I feel for you is too hard to explain. It is so deep, and so full emotions. I don't understand how it happened, and this may sound cliché, but I feel connected to you, and not just in a cheesy way."
"Sometimes it's almost as if I can think what you are thinking, as if I can feel your fear, your devotion and passion for the things you do. Your compassion." Jane continued while kissing Maura chastely on the lips. "Your love for life."
Maura saw Jane and instantly understood what she was saying because she felt it too. She had felt it since the first time they touched, and now that she had Jane on top of her she started to feel it again. She kissed Jane again, passionately, wanting her to understand how deep her feelings for her were. Jane brought her hand to caress Maura's cheek, on her way there softly touching her temple. Both of them felt it come, a feeling of warmth that led them to be facing each other in a white room.
"Maura?" Jane asked while going towards her. "Where are we?"
Maura was too speechless to respond, realizing right away what had happened. She stood next to Jane and felt the pull push her, softly stopping at a place that she knew very well.
"We are in Boston." Maura said somberly. She remembered this very well.
Soon enough they both saw Maura, or the reflection of Maura, make her way towards the back of a restaurant. Waiting for her was Sergeant Korsak, who simply nodded his regards.
"What happened?" Jane saw reflection Maura ask Korsak.
"We didn't know he was being followed." Korsak whispered while moving away, the body of a young man facing them. Jane saw both Maura's flinch.
"You told me he would be protected Korsak, you promised me." Maura screamed at him.
"You know what this creature does Maura, how it is capable to lure their prey and make them do things that they don't want to." Korsak said sadly. "I am truly sorry."
Reflective Maura pushed his hand away from her shoulder, and without hesitation she touched his temple, immediately feeling the pull. Jane and Maura felt it too, and soon enough they saw the darkness being transformed to a cheap bar filled with music and people. The three of them made their way towards the bar where a young man was nodding at them and asking them so seat. Jane froze, it was the same creature that she had met in the alley, the one that made her join the Special Homicide Unit. The memory went forward, probably hazing because the man had many bears. They were outside, the cold wind blowing their faces. They wanted to move, and Jane felt reflective Maura's attempts at escaping, but finding herself unable to do so. Still, Jane moved around and saw how the creature started to laugh and push his fist towards him. Jane looked at the young man's hands and saw that he had a knife in it. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again they were laying on the bed. Jane felt Maura get up of the bed and out of the room, which made her bolt and immediately go after her. She found her on the rooftop, breathing rapidly while holding her tears. Jane slowly made her way towards her, and when she was close encircled her in a deep hug.
Maura turned and softly positioned her head on Jane's shoulders, the tears streaming without control. It had been too terrible to see it that first time, to have felt that weakness and desperation of not being able to help his friend. Now that she saw it through Jane's perspective it had been even worse. The only difference now was that instead of going home to cry herself to sleep alone, this time she was had Jane hugging her and whispering her love and concern. She took a deep breath and took Jane's hands, kissing each finger delicately.
"Jane, thank you."
Jane laughed hysterically. "For what Maura? For making you remember something awful? Or for invading your privacy and finding your deepest secrets without your consent?"
Maura made Jane look at her. "For reminding me that doing this alone is terrible, and for making me be thankful to that awful creature."
"Thankful? He killed your friend!"
"That he did." Maura said sadly. "But he also brought you to my life."
Jane instantly kissed Maura, who sweetly kissed her back. "And besides, I think that based on all the things that we have been through, my privacy has already been invaded many of times." Maura said while smiling.
"Who was he?" Jane asked her softly, trying to be understanding but a sting of jealousy still on her question.
"He was a friend that I met during my time in BCU. His name was Adam Fairfield and he was a truly good man. We had just received information of a creature that manipulated people into giving them all of their wealth and then killing them. With the help of a P.I we found out that his next target was Adam. Korsak, desperate to catch the creature, approach Adam, told him about me working on the case and asked him for his cooperation. When Adam heard that I was part of the investigation he immediately decided to help." Maura said angrily. "After Adam was killed I was truly mad at Korsak, and even left the unit for a while. Ironically I only came back when I heard that the creature responsible for Adam's death was captured."
Jane nodded. "I would have been mad at him too, and I hope he apologized."
Maura smiled guiltily. "I may have taken advantage of the situation and asked him for a couple of favors."
Jane smiled. "The nerve."
"Only one truly important." Maura said quietly. "That he introduced me to the person that got the creature."
Jane smiled again. "I think I may be able to not be so harsh on Korsak, which reminds me that Frost was right."
Maura looked amused at Jane, who started to move back inside the room.
"He said that Korsak had a sixth sense for recruiting people that had special abilities." Maura said. "And I don't even know how I knew that. But what I do think I know is the ability that you have."
"Me, an ability, don't be ridiculous Maura."
"It makes total sense. The way you were able to tell yourself to move your body and tack the creature of the alley, or how after touching my temple you were able to go inside my memories but control them far better than me." Maura said excitedly. "It fits with one of the strangest and most fascinating types of abilities. In fact, I have only read about it and there is not much information about it."
Jane moved Maura's shoulders. "Then just tell me woman, you are killing me."
Maura smiled. "Your special ability, my darling, is replication."