Author's note: New chapter people! Keep enjoying and reviewing. Things will be getting much interesting soon! And think that nothing is a coincidence ;)
It took a while for Maura to realize where she was and how she had got there. When the sun made its way through the window, she opened her eyes lazily and quietly tried to move out of the bed, her attempt being stopped by a strong arm that was holding her still. She looked to her left and saw Jane sleeping peacefully right next to her, which made Maura smile brightly. Last night had been incredible, and now that she moving she felt the ache of their love-making session. She had been surprised by their roughness and how quickly, once satisfied, it faded to tenderness and sweet caresses from both. Each moment that she spent with Jane made her realize how much she loved her, and how much she needed her to be in her life. Their relationship had become a mutualism in which Maura needed Jane so much as Jane needed her to survive. She smiled softly, noticing how her brain would immediately go to science to justify her behaviors and desires. She not only loved Jane, but desired her deeply, which added a certain level of irrationality to her actions and words around the detective. She was used to a routine, to have control over her emotions and feelings. This approach had helped her before in coping with the toughness of life and avoiding getting hurt in the way. With Jane she knew that ship had been long sailed: She was afraid and excited about the vulnerability that Jane made her feel. She knew she was a goner when Jane opened her eyes and smiled brightly at her. She was madly in love with the woman that was laying right next to her and she was going to be for the rest of her life.
"Hey." Jane said quietly. "It's too early to be thinking that much."
Maura smiled softly. "I was just thinking how lucky I am."
Jane smiled brightly. "I am the lucky one Maura." she grabbed Maura's hand and kissed it softly. "I'm sorry about last night."
Maura looked perplexed. "Why are you apologizing?"
Jane shrugged. "Because I just came and had my wicked way with you." she said quietly but then a smirk appeared on her face. "And I enjoyed it completely."
Maura grabbed Jane's hand and squeezed it. "You only did what I had been wanting to do with you for weeks. Although I feel we need to talk about what happened yesterday before you came to my place."
Jane stiffed but nevertheless nodded. "I don't know how to begin."
"Maybe start at the beginning?" Maura said softly and sweetly.
"My mother didn't deny a thing." Jane said sadly. "And it feels so strange Maura. Almost as if..."
"They threw you a bucket full of water that woke you from a long dream?" Maura said while smiling softly. "I know how that feels."
Jane smiled sadly. "I forgot for a while that you went through the same thing I'm going now. I'm being really selfish."
"You are not Jane. You are always focused on protecting and helping others. Let someone help you for a change. Let me help you." Maura implored while looking at Jane deeply. "I want to be there for you just like you have been there for me."
Jane looked reverently at Maura. "You are incredible."
Maura smiled softly, but staying quiet so Jane would continue talking.
"And I feel my whole life was a very big lie. I know it shouldn't be like that, that the feelings and experiences lived were real, but nevertheless I question myself on the authenticity of them. Was the only one oblivious to my adoption or was the rest of my family aware of this?"
"This questions will only bring you more sadness and stress." Maura said. "Sadly, and no matter how hard you try, you will never find answers that will suffice."
"How did you do it Maur?" Jane whispered. "How did you find closure and were able to move forward?"
Maura looked sadly. "Who said I found closure?" she exhaled. "I think I was able to move forward because I realized that although I wasn't officially an Isles, my parents never made me feel alienated from the family. Although they were cold and a little distant, to them I was an Isles. I know your family doesn't see you as Jane the adopted child but as Jane Rizzoli."
Despite the seriousness of the situation Jane smiled. "Well, that is true. Specially Pop with that silly book about our family heritage and..." Jane stopped talking.
"Is something the matter?" Maura asked worriedly.
"Something my mom said, or avoided to say." Jane said quietly. "When I told her that Carla Florenci spoke to me, I could have sworn that the name was familiar to her."
"Could they know each other?" Maura asked curiously. "She does live in North Boston and your family is from that neighborhood."
"Right now, and after everything I have learned, I believe in anything." Jane said sarcastically. "And now what?"
Maura looked sadly at Jane. "You just keep digging, keep finding the truth."
Jane cried a little, and she quickly felt herself being embraced by Maura, who was whispering sweet and calming words. "Whatever you want to do I will support you."
Jane looked at Maura. "Even if you know it's something stupid?"
"Even if I know it's something stupid." Maura smiled softly.
"Wow, I guess you must really love me." Jane said sarcastically.
"I do, and so much." Maura whispered reverently. "I never expected to feel this way for anyone. You have changed me Jane. I think you have made me be a better person. You helped me have closure on my relationship with my mother. You keep protecting me from the brutality of this job and from my self-insecurities. Falling in love with you was just something meant to happen."
Jane hadn't expected this response from Maura, and after looking deeply at her she smiled. "God Maura, how do you know what to say? Here I am feeling butterflies on my stomach and wanting nothing more than to kiss you."
"Then why haven't you?" Maura purred.
Jane smiled and made her way towards Maura. Their phones rang and both women groaned.
"My mother." Jane mouthed.
"Sergeant Korsak." Maura said to Jane.
"Hi mother." Jane answered quietly. "What's up?"
'Jane.' her mother said scared. 'Are you alright?'
"Mmm let me think? I guess I am based on the fact that a few hours ago I learned that most of my life was a lie." she said angrily. "What kind of question is that?"
'I'm sorry Jane, but I don't really know what to say.' her mother said quietly.
'You could start by telling me what is your relationship with Carla Florenci.' Jane pushed the subject and heard her mother flinch.
'I don't know what you are talking about.'
"Bullshit." Jane said angrily, making Maura look disapprovingly at her. "I would expect that after being caught in a lie you would stop lying to me. Guess I was wrong."
'No Janie, it's not that...' her mother said trying to explain. 'It's complicated.'
"Well, you can call me when you decide to tell me the truth." Jane said coldly. "I don't want to be lied to anymore." she finished while ending the call.
"But it's impossible." Jane heard Maura say. "Biologically speaking, they cannot die."
'I thought so too Doc, but I am at the crime scene standing right in front of what is left of the body.'
Maura exhaled. "I will be on my way right now." she finished while hanging the phone.
"What did Korsak say?" Jane asked.
"They just found Carla Florenci."
"That's great news! If my mother won't tell me the truth then maybe she will." Jane said while standing up.
Maura stopped her. "No, it's not."
"What do you mean it's not."
"Sergeant Korsak called me because they just found the rests of Carla Florenci in an old storage room in South Boston."
It had taken them 30 minutes to get ready and be on their way to South Boston. They were frustrated by the news given to them by Korsak. One of their only witnesses and sources had just been found death, which meant that the trail went cold again. To make matters worse, it meant that Jane's questions could only be answered by her mother, who was refusing to tell her the truth.
"Maybe she has her reasons?" Maura said quietly while following Jane through the buildings.
"I just want the truth. Is that a really hard thing to ask for?" Jane said exasperated. "I swear every time we end up finding a new lead the case becomes even more complex."
Maura nodded. "We are so behind in the morgue. The shooting in the graveyard overcrowded us and since we have to do extensive autopsies and analyses on the bodies we have been so overwhelmed. I'm afraid the body count will keep rising Jane."
Jane looked at Maura. Just because Maura did autopsies it didn't mean that she liked the idea of people dying in order to be at her table. The reality was quite the opposite: Ironically, she had never met a person so thankful and satisfied with life. Because Maura was used to knowing death, the gift of life was something that was truly valuable to her.
"I promise you we will find the people responsible for this. And I keep my promises. "
Maura smiled. "That you do." she continued and finally saw the yellow tape that separated the street from the crime scene.
Both women identified themselves, and after a brief checking of the surroundings, they went inside the storage room. They immediately felt the smell of decomposition and after adjusting to the putrefaction they went to meet with Korsak and Frost.
"They found her two hours ago after some complains about the smell." Frost said clearly nauseated. "Took 20 minutes for units to come in and report to us."
Maura left them and went to where the body was, immediately taking a thermometer out of her back. "She is still warm. I would say between 6 to 8 hours."
"Then how come she already smells?" Jane asked surprised.
"She smells because the Bean Nighe, after they die, have a very strong smell that comes out of their body. Although, this one does not fit with their usual aroma." Maura said while sniffling.
"So what does that mean?" Korsak asked quietly.
"It means that I'm not sure if the woman that we have here is a Bean Nighe."
"But you told me that Carlota was a Bean Nighe."
"And she is." Maura said quietly.
"Well, the body that I see right next to you clearly looks like Carlota." Jane said exasperated. "Wait, she is?" Jane exclaimed.
Maura nodded. "It does but it's not." she said while taking a syringe and drawing blood out of the body. After doing this she took a small machine from out of her bag and placed it on the floor.
"The hell is that?" Jane asked surprised.
"It is a Transluminar Proton Developer." Frost said excitedly. "It helps identify the species of a creature by merely taking a blood sample.
Jane nodded and saw Maura quietly pour the blood inside the machine. It was a couple of minutes until they heard it beep and they all approached.
"As I suspected." Maura said while giving the results to the detective. "It's impossible this woman is Carlota Florenci because this body belongs to a shifter."
"A shifter?"
"A shifter is a creature that has the capability of changing their appearance." Frost said. "Like me but sadly I can only copy physical appearance. The shifters can actually copy powers and use them."
"That's a very cool thing to do." Jane said surprised.
"Yes, and although they are very good at copying other powers, there are some things that cannot be copied, such as the putrefaction smell of a Bean Nighe."
"Then who the hell is this person?" Jane asked quietly. "And why is it pretending to be Carla Florenci?"
"Maybe to distract us or make us believe that Carlota was dead so we would forget about her?" Korsak said while looking at Maura. "Only a handful of people could have realized that the smell from the creature didn't match the one of a shifter." Korsak said proudly. "Good job Dr. Isles."
Maura smiled brightly. "Thank you Sergeant Korsak."
"And may I ask how you know the smell of such a creature?" Frost said nauseated.
"During my first years as a medical examiner I went to Ireland because I was asked by a local policeman to help him solve a murder. The victim was a very old widow that had a fame of being a seer, which fitted her because she was a Bean Nighe." Maura said absently. "It was the saddest thing ever because she was killed by a robber who thought she had some sort of money in her office."
Jane looked up surprised. "Is it that common to find old creatures such a Bean Nighe being killed in normal crimes such as a robbery?"
Korsak answered. "Not necessarily, but it's not like it hasn't been heard off. Sometimes these creatures are just at the wrong place at the wrong time."
Jane looked to Maura who was thinking deeply. "You don't think it was a random crime, right?"
Maura nodded. "I didn't have the evidence to support it, and after a while the police ended the investigation because a man confessed to the crime."
"'But?" Frost asked.
"But it didn't match with the crime, didn't it?" Jane said instead.
"Yes. It was too good to be done by just a petty robber. The lack of evidence, the fact that they got a Bean Nighe who can know if they are going to die and the necessity of the police to close the investigation led me to believe that it was more complex than suspected."
"Complex as in?" Jane asked.
"Complex as government involved." Frost said while taking his tablet and pointing to an article. "It says here that the investigation was shot down without any kind of evidence after getting a confession from an old man named Heleste Phisomp. Nevertheless, they never charged the man with murder because he received immunity in exchange for his cooperation in the solving of some crimes."
"Oh my God." Maura said, instantly grabbing Jane's hand.
"What? What is wrong?" Jane asked instantly concerned. "Recognize that name."
"It's not a name. It's an acronym."
"An acronym for what?"
"Mephistopheles." Maura whispered, scared of even pronouncing the name out-loud.