Chapter8

The night was cold and quiet. The sirens lit up the dark alley. Maura ducked under the crime scene tape, her heels clacking against the hard cement as she made her way towards the latest victim. She greeted the uniformed officers at the scene, but all had been too preoccupied to acknowledge her presence. Maura took in the night's cold air as she slipped the latex gloves on her hand. The medical examiner stooped over the body and pulled back the blanket that had been covering it, shielding it from the night's elements. Her breath caught and the night started spinning as she took in the face of the victim that lay at her feet. It was her. She looked around for some kind of explanation. She had hoped that one of the uniforms would begin laughing, as if they had been playing a joke at her expense. Maura's eyes fell on Sergeant Korsak and Detective Frost. She ran towards them. At first it had seemed that they had acknowledged her, but their heads turned past Maura and their gaze stopped at Jane. "Jane," Maura breathed. She stepped out in front of Jane to stop her. She wanted to protect her from what she had just witnessed, but Jane's form went straight through Maura as if she had been a ghost. Sergeant Korsak grabbed Jane and pulled her body into his, into a comforting hug. "She's gone," he whispered. Maura watched helplessly as Jane tremble in tears. She wanted to reach out. She wanted to comfort her, but the night started fading as she heard Jane saying, "I was supposed to protect her."

Maura 's body shot up as she screamed out into the darkness. The sudden outburst startled Jane and she sat up quickly to assess her friend. "Maur," Jane started short of breath. "Are you ok? What happened?"

"I…I… I had a … It was just a dream." Maura explained. "You can see me, right?"

"Yes," Jane answered puzzled. "It's a little late. We can finish this intense game of peek-a-boo or hide and seek in the morning, if you would like."

"What?" Maura asked. "Wait no. No games. I'm just… " Maura trailed off as she got lost in her thought.

"Maura, you had a nightmare. It happens. Tell me about it. It might help."

"No Jane."

"No?" Jane questioned.

"No. It will keep you awake all night and one of us needs to sleep." Maura tried to explain.

"Well, I'm definitely awake now. You have the lungs of a banshee." Jane laughed. "So talk to me. Please."

"Jane, did you know that the existence of banshees date back to the 1300's? Most legends suggest that the banshee begins to cry just as someone is about to die… It is said to be a bad omen…"

"You're stalling." Jane cut her off.

"Yes. I suppose I am." Maura said. "Jane, can I touch you?"

"Can you what?"

"Can I touch you? I merely want to convince myself that my dream was indeed just a dream." Maura said as she reached for Jane's hand.

"Uh... ok." Jane stuttered.

Maura touched Jane's hand gently, as if the smallest contact would make her hand vanish. Maura slowly let her fingers trace up Jane's hand, over her wrist and up her arm. Jane's breath hitched in her chest when Maura brought her hand to Jane's face. Maura let her hand suspend in the air, hovering Jane's cheek with uncertainty. Her eyes were locked completely on her hand, as Jane's eyes stared into Maura's face. The medical examiner slowly let her hand rest on the detective's cheek. She brought across her face, caressing Jane's zygomatic bone. She felt the small tremor in Jane's body when their skin collided. It felt like an electric charge had traveled through Jane's body, entering in under Maura's touch, hitting her heart on the way down, and exiting somewhere between her legs. She hadn't noticed that she had stopped breathing. She continued to stare into the medical examiner's face as Maura's stare traveled from her hand to Jane's eyes. They sat in silence staring at the other, Maura's hand still stroking Jane's face. A magnetic pull. That's how Maura would have explained it. Something pulling her closer to Jane.

"Maur?" Jane croaked into the silence.

"Huh…. Yea?" Maura replied startled at the interruption of her thoughts.

"Your dream, remember?" Jane urged.

"Right." Maura thought. "My dream."

"C'mon Maur' spill it. Don't even try to hide something or you will break out in hives remember?" Jane tried to evoke.

"Ok. Well, I died. The end. Let's go back to sleep."

Maura threw her body against the bed fast and rolled over before Jane could even begin to process what Maura had said. "Oh no." Jane started. "If you think that is the end of this conversation, you are obviously still dreaming." Jane tried to grab Maura's shoulders to lift her towards her. She felt the doctor resisting her. "Up, C'mon."

Maura rolled over and pulled Jane down on to the bed their face only inches apart. She locked her eyes onto the detectives as she took in a deep breath. "Jane, it was a dream. It might have nothing to do with the stress of this case. Some believe that dreams about dying could represent a change in my everyday life. It could be something as small as a hair cut or a change in a relationship." Maura paused and licked her lips. Jane noticed the doctor glance at her lips before her gaze returned to her eyes. "Or it could just mean that I am afraid Jane."

Jane stared at Maura unable to think. She had completely stopped listening after the doctor said change in a relationship. "Are you dating someone?" Jane blurted out unintentionally.

"What?" Maura responded. "No, I was just trying to make a point."

"What was your point? I got distracted." Jane admitted.

Maura sighed and blinked hard. She opened her eyes and stared deep into the ones that were penetrating hers. "My point is that death dreams can signify numerous other things including relationship problems."

"Are we having relationship problems?" Jane joked.

"We will be if you don't shut up and go back to sleep." Maura said as she nudged Jane's arm and rolled away.

"Ok. Ok."

After a few minutes of silence, Jane spoke again. "Maura. I can't sleep"

"Me either." Maura admitted as she rolled back over facing Jane.

"Maura, what do sex dreams mean?" Jane asked.

Maura laughed and thought about the question directed towards her. "Well sex dreams have a lot of different meanings Jane. You will have to be more specific."

"Maura, you know what I am talking about." Jane said through her teeth.

"Ok." Maura laughed. "Let's see. Homosexual sex…"

"Stop." Jane interrupted.

"Stop what?"

"Don't say it like that." Jane pleaded.

"Say it like what?" Maura questioned.

"You know what I am talking about …. 'homosexual sex.'" Jane explained.

"Ok, fine" Maura started again. "Same sex sex…" Maura paused and glanced at Jane to make sure that she did not say something wrong. When Jane did not interrupt, she began again. "For someone that is not gay, could mean that they are having self doubt. Low self-esteem."

"And what if that sex dream is with your best friend?" Jane asked.

"Well it means that you are obviously gay and in love with her." Maura replied.

Jane stopped and stared at Maura. Not being able to hold up under Jane's gaze, Maura started laughing. "Jane, I'm sorry. It could mean a lot of things. Possibly that there are insecurities about this friend, or that maybe the dream is interpreting sex as a symbol of intimacy that you share with this 'friend'. Or quite possibly that you want to get closer to them."

"C'mon Maura. You know that it was about you."

"I know." Maura smiled and turned her back to Jane.

"What are you doing?" Jane probed.

"I am going to sleep. It's late." Maura countered.

"I thought you couldn't sleep."

"Oh, I think I can now that I've been distracted." Maura said still smiling. "Now please get closer, put your arm around me and shut up."

"Maura, what do they say about dreams where your best friend is bossy."

"That you're probably not dreaming, but it sounds like you picked a keeper."

Jane smiled into the darkness of the night as she scooted closer to Maura and wrapped her arm around her waist.

"Goodnight" Jane whispered as she held her best friend a little tighter to her body.