Author's note: thank you for your reviews and your patience.

Chapter ten: You Can't Fight Fate

"So you are telling me that all of this is a joke?"

Constance hadn't used a sharp tone of voice but Jane nonetheless felt the urge to look down at her lap as if she had done something wrong. Sitting next to her, Maura began to stutter. Before the last events – more unexpected than ever – they had decided to break the news to her mother. It was too dangerous to not let her know. Too dangerous and too stressful.

"It is rather harmless." Maura didn't sound convinced by her own argument. It was a bit weak. "And it is only the matter of two months. Once Margot goes back to France, everything is over!"

Constance slowly turned her head to look at her daughter. She blinked and pursed her lips in what could have been assimilated to a strong disapproval.

"Who taught you to lie, exactly?"

This time, Jane didn't let Maura reply.

She was responsible of the situation too, after all. Besides, she couldn't witness the scene without reacting herself. Not if she didn't want to face insomnia as she would go to sleep. Her conscience was a stubborn one. It wouldn't make her feel right if she remained quiet now.

"Your daugher can't lie, Constance. So technically, she's never hidden the truth to our host. There're just some things that she didn't mention." Our. Jane didn't realize immediately that she had included herself. Fair enough, though.

Constance laughed lightly which took Jane aback. Was Maura's mother angry or testing them? She wasn't so sure anymore.

"She plays with words. I know her. We might not see each other very often, I still know how Maura works." Constance grabbed her pack of cigarettes and lit one. She shrugged. "But I don't care much. I find it rather funny, as a matter of fact."

"You... You do...?" Maura straightened up on her seat and cast a brief glance at Jane to make sure that she had heard her mother well. Her friend looked just as troubled as she was herself.

Constance nodded, though.

"Yes. I can't believe that someone would make up such scenario just to welcome home a student but then if there has to be someone who would do that then... It has to be you, let's face it. It is... It is so... You."

Jane was about to reply when she spotted Bass on her right. The tortoise was slowly making his way to the kitchen, the ribbon she had tied around his shell earlier in the morning still in place.

She pouted.

Maybe Constance was right. Such a cock and bull scenario was typical from her daughter. After all, Maura was not a random person. She was a bit special, a bit different. Singular. And that was what made her sweetness; the one Jane loved more than anything.

Together, they formed an odd pairing. Odd but sweet.

The thought made her smile and only the sound of the front door getting slammed took her out of her sudden daydream. She turned around and watched how Margot walked to them. As usual, she was all smiles.

What kind of teenager never looked grumpy? She wasn't at her parent's but still, it wasn't normal.

"Hey! Did you have fun with your friends at the ice rink, Frenchie?"

Margot nodded – high-fived her – then went to plant two kisses on Maura and Constance's cheeks. Some traditions would obviously never die. The teenager sat down on the couch and waited for Jo Friday to jump on her lap. The dog had got used to Margot as well. It would be hard when she left.

"It went very well, thank you. What did you do while I was there?"

Maura – Jane – and Constance exchanged an embarrassed look and waited for the other to reply which only turned into a heavy silence; a long one.

"We were just talking about life, chérie. Nothing that you need to know about." Constance smiled at Margot and offered her a cigarette before apologizing to Maura who gasped, offended by the idea.

"Then I am going to leave you talk more about things I shouldn't know because I have homework to do. By the way, I am preparing a presentation about my US family so I need pictures of you two."

Maura nodded. This wasn't an issue. They had many pictures on their respective computers. They would find ones that Margot could easily use.

"Couple pictures, I mean. Like... Your first dates, your wedding. I have to make a presentation of... Your story... How you became a family." Seeing that nobody was replying to her, Margot seemed to hesitate for a few seconds then finally added. "I also would like to ask you something."

"What is it?" Jane was eager to forget about the picture thing and held hopes over the idea that the question would not be linked to any supposedly love story photo album.

She just hadn't imagined that Margot would turn out to be as nervous as she was now. The girl had stood up but was looking down at her feet.

"I was wondering if we could... Ahem... I mean if I could... You know... Host a party here with my new friends. It's a big house, that would be nice. But don't be worried, I'm used to do that. I'm not the kind of person you can't trust."

"To doing that. You are used to doing that." Maura paused but her hesitation didn't last. She finally nodded at Margot. "Of course, you can. Jane and I trust you. We will just see when it is the best moment to organize it and then we will do it with pleasure!"

Margot threw herself in her arms – repeated the gesture with Jane – then happily trotted to the stairs before going to her room.

The brunette waited for a few seconds before shaking her head at her friend.

"It's your house, Maura, but... Do you have any idea what it means to have a teen invasion here?"

The medical examiner looked at Jane with perplexity. She didn't understand what the detective meant. Margot was a nice girl, very polite. She wouldn't cause them any trouble.

"What is wrong with it? Besides, I never hosted any party when I was her age... So I am glad to be part of one. Finally!" Maura raised her fists to highlight her genuine joy.

Constance and Jane looked at each other a bit sorry for her innocence. The Italian stood up – walked to the kitchen – and sighed loudly. She poured herself a glass of water.

"Something tells me we won't be invited, Maura. That's how teen parties work. Parents are locked in their bedroom all night. We're gonna be hostages. Hostages to bad music."

She grabbed her car keys and put her jacket on. She was on a night shift and had to leave now for the BPD. If she had never minded much about such schedule before, things were now different. She did not want to go. Staying home with Maura and Margot was a lot more appealing. They could watch a movie or just enjoy a nice chat.

But she didn't have much of a choice.

She waved at Maura and Constance then left by the patio door. The house turned quiet again. Way too quiet for the scientist's tastes. Sometimes she thought about what would happen after and how she would feel terribly lonely once the whole thing was over. She loved her house but it was a bit too big for just one person at times.

One person and a tortoise.

"You are doing well, Maura."

She didn't move at first. She remained still and kept on staring at the patio door as if playing in her head over and over the moment Jane had left. The words had hit the air with a delicate honesty, though; something very sweet.

A tone of voice she didn't assimilate to her mother.

"What do you mean?" Maura swallowed hard, bit her lips.

Constance rolled her eyes. She lacked patience and had always hated explaining things that seemed evident to her eyes.

"Parenting. You might not be married to Jane – yet...? - but I can say that you would be a fantastic mother. I can see it through your interactions with Margot; the way you two are with each other. Sure, she isn't a tough child but you nonetheless make the right choices, at the right time. And for you – knowing your difficulties to socialize – I think that it is wonderful."

A thousand possibilities of answers rushed to her head but she didn't choose any. Instead, Maura remained quiet and still. She didn't smile, didn't do anything but trying to ignore the first part of her mother's explanation; the one about her relation to Jane. It was not the right moment.

"If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't repeat my mistakes from the past. I know that I haven't been a good mother, Maura. I am sorry for that."

Maura shook her head immediately and finally reacted. It had taken her a while but she wouldn't let her mother say this. She didn't find it fair.

"This isn't true. You gave me a lot, in your own way. You taught me tolerance, how important it is to be open-minded. You showed me the world and I met extraordinary people thanks to you..." The rest didn't matter. Not anymore. She loved her parents for who they were.