Author's note: New chapter people! And a little spoiler, this one is kinda big! As usual, you will find in my p.d some explanations for things discussed during the chapter! I hope you enjoy the reading as much as I enjoyed writing this chapter :) reviews, questions and critiques are more than welcomed! :) Little heads up: the p.d part is a little bigger than usual hehe.
"Where the hell have you been?!" Frost was screaming at her while checking for any injuries. "We have been calling you for the last hour!"
Jane just huffed, still too shocked to realize what her disappearance had meant for her team.
"I'm not fucking joking here! We are partners Jane!" Frost said out loud.
This made Jane feel guilty. "I'm sorry Frost, I didn't mean to scare you or the rest of the team, but it wasn't my fault. I need to talk to Maura." she added while moving away, being instantly stopped by Frost.
"What happened? As soon as I get here I find Dr. Isles, the body and you gone from the scene. Care to explain?" Frost said sarcastically.
"Frost, the victim was Maura's mother, Constance Isles." Jane whispered.
This made Frost instantly flinch. "Poor Dr. Isles. The shock."
"Yeah, especially after having a fight just before she died." Jane said angrily. "And you know me, being frustrated and all I was not able to help Maura. I let her look at the body and leave with it to the morgue. What kind of person am I?" she whispered while lowering her gaze.
She instantly felt a hand on her shoulder, and saw Frost looking at her while smiling softly. "The kind of person that knows that what Dr. Isles needed there was to take care of her mother, and the trust enough from her significant other to let her take the reins."
Jane smiled softly. "Thank you Frost." She immediately took her cell-phone out, trying to reach Maura.
'Dr. Isles.' Maura answered absently.
'Maura, it's me.' Jane answered afraid.
'Oh my God Jane!' she heard relief in Maura's voice. 'Sergeant Korsak told me you disappeared from the scene. I have been so scared since then.' she heard Maura's voice breakdown.
Jane immediately felt bad about not being there. 'I'm ok darling, and I'm sorry for not being there right now with you, but I will be on my way. We need to talk.'
Maura nodded. 'Ok Jane, I just got started on the autopsy.' she whispered the last part. 'I don't know if I can do this Jane. I thought I could, but now I'm not sure.'
Jane was making her way to the car with Frost following her closely behind. 'You are far stronger than what you think Maura. I know that, the unit knows that, and... your mother knew that." she whispered the last part.
Maura shivered at that comment. 'You don't know that Jane. I lived with her during half of my life and I always felt that it was the complete opposite.'
'Trust me darling, it wasn't like that.' Jane said quietly. 'And I will explain everything as soon as I get there.'
Maura nodded before hanging the phone and taking a look at the person that used to be her mother. She felt the tears and again she was sobbing. It had been awful to be in the coroners van and hear the medics talking about her like she was an object that didn't mean anything. It had been more painful to take her to the autopsy bed and lay her there, destroying the decorum and composure that she had seen her mother have during her living moments. And she was sure that it was going to be excruciating to touch her and see what she saw, feel what she felt before she died. She wasn't strong enough for this, and although she tried to pretend in front of Jane, it was all a big lie that. Making things worse was the fact that after finishing the preliminary report on her mother and preparing for the actual autopsy part, Maura received a call from Sergeant Korsak asking about Jane's whereabouts. When he told her that Jane never made it back to headquarters she felt her heart collapse again, too much sorrow in a couple of hours overwhelming it. Was it fair? No, it wasn't, and it led to her angrily ask herself why all of this happened to her, what crime or punishment could she be possibly be paying. Nevertheless, Jane's call calmed her down, and now that she was coming, she felt a little bit of self-control, enough self-control to look down at her mother's body and try to scientifically analyze it. No sign of struggle, and the rigor mortis starting to leave the body. She had some kind of kind of small incisions on her ear. Possibly taser marks, Maura thought suddenly, immediately Mephisto popping into her mind. This wasn't a coincidence, and although it hurt to admit it, it was some good news for their case.
"Maura." she heard Jane saw while feeling herself being enwrapped by strong arms. "I'm sorry." she felt kisses on her temple.
Maura just whimpered and hugged Jane back, her walls collapsing right in front of detective Frost and Sergeant Korsak. She would have usually hated to show so much emotion in front of them, but she needed to fell Jane comfort her.
"I thought I could do this, stay objective and do my job, but every time I look down I see her looking at me, judging me." she whimpered. "I know it's impossible Jane, but I feel my mother is still judging my every action. I feel guilty."
Jane immediately made Maura look at her. "This is not your fault Maura. You are not responsible for this. The creature that did this to your mother is the guilty one Maura, and trust me, I will find it and make it pay. I promise you." Jane finished fiercely.
Maura saw Jane's determination and how much she meant those words. "I believe you Jane."
Jane smiled. "And I will need the help from the best, which you are."
Maura nodded, and after apologizing briefly to Detective Frost and Sergeant Korsak she made them approach the body.
"Based on my preliminary examination I can say that the Fugus was responsible for the murder of the victim." Maura whispered. "And I also found taser marks on the back of her neck."
All the detectives looked up, Maura approaching and grabbing a glove. "Taser mark?"
"Yes, and it matches the ones from the murders of Mephisto." Maura said while pointing at the mark.
"So then Mephisto and Fugus were responsible for killing the victim?" Frost said carefully.
"It appears like that." Maura said. "Both injuries, the one on the neck and the sexual activity were almost made at the same time."
Korsak stepped forward. "This doesn't make sense. Why would Mephisto risk to show his involvement for this murder. What is special about the victim?" he immediately looked at Maura. "I apologize for my crudeness Dr. Isles."
"Don't apologize detective, and I understand your point there." Maura said quietly.
"I think I can answer your question Korsak." Jane said quietly. "And it has to do with my brief disappearance." Jane started to move around the hand, grabbing her hands as a sign of nervousness. "I talked with Constance." Jane blurted out.
Everyone looked up at her, Maura closing her eyes while grabbing the autopsy table tightly. "Jane, I do not understand what you are trying to do with this, but I do not find it funny."
Jane immediately went to face Maura. "And I'm not doing this on purpose Maura, but I swear that's what happened. I talked with your mother." Jane moved away and faced them all. "I was walking down the forest, thinking about the case and suddenly a shadow appeared. It was switching between the people I knew until it stayed like you Maura." Jane said while looking at Maura deeply. "It talked like you, moved like you but it wasn't you. And it told me 'I knew that you were stubborn, but it seems you are also very protective of your daughter.'" Jane finished while looking at Maura stare at her through glassy eyes.
"Maybe you thought it was Mrs. Isles." Frost started to say.
"No." Jane interrupted him. "It was her. And she told me that she was a banshee."
This made all of them look at Jane with surprise.
"Banshee's can only communicate, if death already, only with people that have a deep connection with the underworld." Korsak said while looking at Jane with surprise.
Jane nodded. "I discovered a few weeks ago, in New York with Maura, that I have an ability."
Korsak and Frost looked deeply surprised, the latter one speaking. "Why didn't you tell us?"
Jane was going to speak but Maura spoke for her. "Because she has a very powerful ability, that if known by the enemy, could make things dangerous for Jane. She has the ability of replication."
Jane saw how the two detectives were staring at her with deep surprise, and even a small hint of fear, as if realizing that Jane was far more powerful than all of them combined. This made Jane get angry. "I'm still the same person you knew before, and because of this reaction I was afraid of telling you." she exasperated.
"Sorry Jane, but what you are telling us is not something to be taken lightly." Korsak said upset. "This changes the way we have been managing the case of Mephisto and Fugus."
"Why does it change it? Because now I can be used as a weapon of attack?" Jane asked angrily.
"You know that's not what I meant."
"No, what you meant was that there could be the possibility, and I'm also aware of that. I'm aware of what I could do with this power but I'm also afraid of it. I'm afraid of becoming something like Mephisto, a creature blinded by power and desperate enough to kill everyone that stands in the way."
"Jane..." Maura started to say while approaching Jane, who saw this and calmed herself.
"It was wrong of me to keep this from you, and the sole reason I was doing it was because I was training with Maura so I could control it." Jane said while looking at Frost and Korsak. "And after we solve Constance's murder I will explain you everything, but right now we need to talk about the things Constance told me."
They all nodded and started to return to their places, Maura deciding to stay with Jane and grab her hand. This made Jane smile a bit and continue.
"She told me that there was a whisper in the underworld, of someone wanting to get Maura and I." Jane whispered. "And that the Fugus was responsible for killing her. She knew." she added quietly while looking at Maura. "She knew she was going to die."
Maura gulped and nodded. "Banshee's have the gift of knowing who will live or die, but the curse of not being able to directly interfere with the life of the person that is going to perish."
"It's not usual to find Banshee's in our world." Korsak said. "They usually prefer to stay in the underworld because it's too painful for them to establish relationships with humans."
Jane saw how Maura was struggling to hold her self-control. "If she is from the underworld, would she be controlled by Mephisto?"
"You mean if humans with abilities that come from the underworld have free will?" Frost asked surprised.
Maura looked up at Jane and saw what she was trying to say. "Because of what we read on the Van Helsing book?"
Jane nodded. "Think about it. We have creatures that are old and have been unheard off suddenly popping on every side of the city and committing terrible and noticeable murders. Yes, they are smart about hiding their traces, but why start killing now unless they are being told to by a more powerful being?"
"I guess it makes sense." Korsak said.
"You told me that the difference between creatures and humans was that the first one chose to use their abilities to kill, and that the second one chose to live a peaceful life." Jane said while looking at Maura. "So then not all humans that have abilities from the underworld are necessarily evil?"
Maura nodded. "Technically that's true. The Chicondria usually creates the ability based on the necessity of the human, and in the case of my mother, the ability of a Banshee would have been inherited. The Banshee's come from deep Irish roots."
"But Isles is not an Irish last name." Frost said.
"No, but my mother's maiden name is." Maura said while quickly going to get the folder where all of Constance information was. "Constance Doyle." she said while looking at all of them.
"Doyle as in Irish mafia Patty Doyle?" Frost asked surprised. "Your mother was a relative of them?"
Maura looked down, embarrassed. "I don't know detective, my mother and I were never close. I'm afraid I don't know much about her life."
Jane looked angrily at Frost, who embarrassedly looked down.
"But if she is from the underworld, that means Mephisto could control her." Korsak said.
"I thought so too, but then look at the taser marks on her neck. Why else would Mephisto be involved in another normal crime unless it wanted to show a lesson to the rest of creatures?"
"You betray me you will end up dead?" Korsak said while glancing at Maura, who started to cry softly.
"I think Mrs. Isles was killed because she came to warn Maura about Mephisto." Jane said while looking at Maura, who started to cry softly.
"Guys." Jane added while showing them to the door, both of them understanding that what Jane had to say next was meant for Maura only."Can you please go upstairs and start researching about Constance's connection with the Doyle family?"
They nodded and quickly left, on the way saying some comfort words to Maura, who barely managed to smile at them before letting herself be held by Jane.
"I have been thinking lately about my ability." Jane started to say while taking Maura to her office. "And how I am always able to go inside a person's mind and see their memories." she saw Maura look intently at her. "And that made me ask myself: If I can see whatever I want, could I make another person see what I want?" Jane added while concentrating on her encounter with Constance and trying to make the memory expand, as if it was leaving her mind and instead going to her hands.
Maura started to close her eyes and immediately felt a pull take her away from the morgue. She opened her eyes and saw herself in a room filled with light, Jane standing in the middle and looking at her with love and devotion. She kept on walking to where Jane was pointing her to go, which was a single brown door. She hesitated.
"I will be right here waiting for you." Jane said while grabbing Maura's hand and squeezing it tightly.
Maura nodded and opened the door, finding herself on a forest. She saw herself, and heard the words Jane told her the shadow spoke.
"I swear that if you keep doing that I will shoot you no questions asked or answered." she heard herself scream while taking the safety of the gun that she had on her hand off. "And I keep my promises."
Maura noticed the shadow switching forms again and finally becoming her mother.
"I knew that you were stubborn, and rude, but it seems that also very protective of my daughter."
"Constance Isles is dead." Maura said while looking at her surroundings, trying to find any trace of civilization. "Her body is being taken to the morgue by her daughter." she gulped when she realized the sorrow that Jane felt because of this fact.
Apparently her mother flinched after this remark. "I know, and I hated to do that to her, but I had to protect her."
This made Maura look instantly at her. "Protect her from what?" Or me.
"There has been this whisper around us, this quest for the blood of my daughter and yours, Detective Rizzoli." she whispered.
"What are you?" Maura whispered, sadness overwhelming her senses and making her ask dumb questions. Although it's actually Jane the one doing the questioning, Maura thought and chuckled a little.
"I went to see Maura because her life was in danger. Ever since she was a child, I knew that she was special, although I never really knew how. When we adopted her, we were told to protect her, and that she was far too precious for her own good. When Maura started to succeed in her intellectual and cultural endeavors, I thought that was what the person that gave her to us meant. Nevertheless, the threats against her life started to come, people around us and close to her were disappearing, and this made my husband and I realize that the only way to keep her safe was to move her around the world. We knew it was going to be painful to her, but you have to understand how much we loved her, how much we cared." Constance said sadly
Maura felt herself crying, her anger towards her mother increasing every second. "Why did you keep all of this from me?" she screamed. " I had a right to know!" Maura said while hitting the concrete floor.
Her mother looked sadly at her. "Because when we got you we made the promise of not interfering with your life directly. This means that I was not allowed to tell you about my ability or what I knew without paying the consequences, which meant you would be taken away from us. I couldn't allow that to happen my darling."
Maura froze, and immediately she saw her mother smiling sadly at her. "You can talk to me? How?"
"You always had this ability in you. How do you think Detective Rizzoli was able to acquire it? It was through absorbing yours and then pushing it to the limit when that specter was causing you pain." Constance said sadly. "Although we do have one main ability, this ability, if exploited and pushed to the limit can grasp so much more uses."
Maura was speechless for a while. "So when you talked to me on friday..."
"I knew that no matter what I was going to die." Constance said quietly.
"This is all my fault. If I would have only listened to you." Maura whispered.
"This was not your fault, and it pains me that you were able to find the truth this way. I never meant to cause you any pain, and I think that I was never any good at showing you how proud I was of you. I wasn't able to save you, but maybe you, with the help of Detective Rizzoli, will save yourself. One wrong thing to do is to underestimate you Maura. You are so much stronger than what you think." Constance said while her shadow was becoming more foggy. "Mephisto is very strong Maura, and he is recruiting more creatures from the underworld. I'm afraid that by challenging him, I gave him the opportunity to scare the other humans and creatures that were desperately trying to not do his command."
"So you have free will?" Maura asked.
"In a certain level we do." Constance said quietly. "Until a supreme creature decides to use its power to control us, then I'm afraid we do not have other choice than to obey."
"But you didn't and instead came to warn us. How is that possible?"
Constance smiled sadly. "Because I love you Maura, and my only goal in life has been to protect you. Evilness can be stopped, by love, and sadly most creatures from the underworld have never felt or been in love. That's why they are so easy to control. I was one of the lucky few. You brought light into my life Maura, and I thank you deeply."
"Please don't go." Maura whispered while her mother smiled back. "I always loved you, and always will."
Constance smiled softly and stretched her hand, barely touching it with Maura's. "And I will always love you too." she finally said, her shadow becoming pure dust.
Maura collapsed on the floor, and after a few seconds she felt strong arms encircle her. She let herself be carried to the couch on her office.
"My mother saved my life." she choked when she felt soft hands separating her hair. "My mother got killed because she tried to save my life."
Jane just hugged Maura, whispering words of love and what she hoped were understanding. After what felt like hours Maura stopped herself, quickly getting up and looking at Jane with determination. Jane smiled sadly.
"I talked with my mother." Maura said quietly.
Jane looked surprised at her. "How?"
"She told me that replication does not mean creation, but faster dominance and control of the abilities you absorb. I always had the power to talk to the people in memories." Maura said fiercely. "But until now I never really had a very strong reason to use it."
Jane nodded. "You are so strong and brave Maura. Tell me what I can do and I'll do it."
"Go and do what you do better than anyone I know. Find the bastard who did this." Maura said fiercely.
P.D: Soooo! Many important revelations in this chapter people! I will explain the things that to me are the most important to know :)
1. So! Now the rest of the team knows that Jane has the ability of replication! I kept it for this long because of a suggestion from a reader and because it made sense that Jane was scared of sharing her power with the rest of them, mostly because of their attempt to use it against Mephisto (which is something Jane is not against off, but merely scared of the repercussions that could have on her life and sanity).
2. Constance is a Doyle! I know! When I killed her in the previous chapter, I wasn't sure about what that would mean to the case, but now that I could connect her to the Doyle's, you are going to see that story-line also enter the equation.
3. Constance was from the underworld, and based on Van Helsing's diary, Mephisto has control under the dark creatures because he is a supreme creature. But, as Constance explained to Maura, she was able to fight that control because she had a significant person in her life to protect (again, I'm a very cliche romantic hehe).
4. Because Constance is a very old human (remember some humans have abilities that are inherited and that gives them prolonged life) and so she knows about abilities and how they work. Based on that, we were able to learn that Maura also has the ability to control memories!, which means that Jane does not have the ability to create, but merely learn faster to control and dominate the ones she absorbs.
5. It seems that Mephisto is trying to start a war, and in order to do that he has realized that he needs to eliminate the two persons that can possibly stop him, which are Jane and Maura.
6. What Constance made her was to establish the connection between the Fugus and Mephisto, and make the Unit understand that Mephisto is controlling and determining the attacks against the population.
7. Jane is learning to do so much more things, and now she can show to others what she wants them to see, which in a way is what Maura does since the beginning of the story. Nevertheless, she combines all the things that she has learned from previous experiences and creates a better and more controlled environment for Maura to watch the memory of her conversation with Constance's shadow.
8. The big question: How is Jane available to see Constance's shadow? As I told you in previous chapters, Jane is more attuned to the underworld because of her ability. Not many people have it, and since she has absorbed abilities from humans and creatures, she is able to in a way mingle between the two worlds far easier than the rest of humans with abilities.