Author's Note: Thank you very much for all your reviews, I'm touched to see that you're reacted so well to the fic (sometimes to the point of thinking about an extra-scene). I'm sorry for the ones who are bored. It's been so-so yesterday because I was/am sick so I don't feel 100% yet.

Chapter Twenty-One

It wasn't a shock but a realization, the kind of realizations that you never want to have. It had happened just as they had reached the top of the stairs in front of the Sacré Coeur. Ready to admire the view of Paris that spread below, Jane hadn't seen it come at all. She had been focused on the idea of spending another beautiful day with Maura, a day that nothing nor nobody could ever reach but them. She had been wrong.

Maura's cell phone had rung: it was the morgue, she had to take the call.

Under other circumstances, Jane would have found it completely random but the context was different in Paris. The phone call had burst her bubble, her and Maura's bubble. And the truth was that she had a hard time dealing with it now.

She had put Boston aside the moment she had waited for Maura in front of the Opéra Garnier. As a matter of fact, she had forgotten about America and every single person linked to it. What could be defined as her daily life had vanished in the air within a few seconds. Way too easily.

Then she and Maura had begun to build their very own world. It was a beautiful one, very sweet. Full of smiles and discoveries. Disconnected from reality.

But it wasn't as strong as Jane had thought it to be because a mere phone call had been enough to make it collapse like a house of cards. There, in the heart of Montmartre. On the highest point of Paris.

It had nothing to do with jealousy. Jane wasn't jealous of Maura because someone had called Maura and nobody had tried to reach her. The fact the morgue called Maura was fair since she was the chief medical examiner. But it didn't fit. It didn't fit the world Jane had lost herself into these past few days. The conclusion was harsh but Boston didn't have its place in her life anymore. Not like that. She and Maura had reached a brand new level of intimacy in a place that had nothing to do with America. So it was hard now - if not just impossible - to link her old life to what shee was currently living.

Of course, she could have simply tried to cope with it one way or another but her genuine reaction had caused her to wonder if it meant that she and Maura weren't made for the real world. For what they called their daily life.

Paris wasn't part of it, nor was Saint-Malo and even less the roof of the opera house. Reality was a lot more abrupt. Almost brutal. It was made of Boston and of Quantico. Of new jobs and of new paths that they were supposed to take alone. There wasn't room for any relationship at all if neither of them made changes soon.

And it was the word 'soon' that scared Jane the most. She and Maura were running against time. The world seemed to have stopped turning in France and everything was beautiful. But one day they would head to the airport anew and they would leave Paris behind.

It was ridiculous. She should have thought about it earlier on. The fact it hadn't crossed her mind scared her quite a bit.

"Is everything okay?"

She couldn't let her doubts show though and she gave Maura a smile as soon as Maura put an end to her phone call. The call had lasted ten minutes. Barely ten minutes.

Maura nodded but the pout on her lips betrayed a so-so feeling.

"They have landed a big case..."

Jane swallowed hard. She didn't want to think about the worst yet it was the only thing that she had in mind right now. She let the words come out nontheless, because she had to.

"Do you need to go back to Boston?"

It would be a disaster for them because they needed time. They absolutely needed the parenthesis that Paris offered them in order to understand what was going on and in order to take the right decisions when the countdown would be over.

"Oh no! Kent is doing a great job but..." Maura made a step on her left to make some room for a family of tourists. The stairs of the Sacré Coeur were packed. As usual. It was a must-see in Paris."But... I haven't quit and I'm still the chief medical examiner so I may need to adapt my schedule here."

Alright.

Jane could do with that kind of scenario. It wasn't as bad as it could be. Perhaps it was even something that would do them good in the long run. Now Paris ceased to be disconnected to their daily life and they may be able to work on their relationship better from now on.

Because Jane didn't want to give up now. That was the truth, her truth. She didn't want to put an end to something that honestly made her happy. She still had to figure out a couple of things about herself but – all in all – she deeply enjoyed what she and Maura had developed together. It was new but it felt right. It even brought her a balance that nothing else had ever managed to bring her until now.

"Do you want to go back to the hotel? I assume you've already received the case through an email..."

"No, thank you. I will check it tonight. It's okay. They just want my opinion on something that is a tad... Unusual... For an autopsy."

Jane frowned. Her curiosity was piqued but – at the same time – she didn't feel like talking about the morgue nor about any case. She was on vacation and it hadn't happened in a while. Thus she wanted to focus on nothing but that.

"That bad?!"

She was polite though.

"Bad isn't the proper adjective I would use... Let's simply say that it's different. Exceptional." Maura turned anew towards the view. She took a deep breath and smiled brightly. "Anyway... We're in Montmartre and all I want to think about right now is Montmartre."

Jane welcomed Maura's statement with a discreet relief. She was really glad to see that Maura wasn't ready to put their day aside just to spend the afternoon studying a new case.

"Okay." Jane nodded. She brought her hands to her hips before squinting her eyes. "So... Where is Amelie?"*

...

Maura stared at the screen of her computer for long seconds. She didn't want to open the message because she knew that – the moment she would do it – something would be gone forever. And she wasn't ready for it.

Jane had remained very quiet but Maura hadn't missed the impact of the morgue's phone call on Jane. Her traits had got darker, and deeper. It wasn't Maura's instinct that had led her to such conclusion but the simple fact that she actually felt the same.

She didn't want to renew with Boston. She loved her job. It wasn't the issue at all. It was just that Boston was linked to Quantico and that was something that she didn't want to think about. She didn't know if she had what it took to handle it one day. That was the blatant truth.

Carpe diem.

Léopoldine's wise and cheerful words sounded loudly in Maura's head but it wasn't her fault if reality had decided to take a different turn. It was nobody's fault. It was nothing but life happening. And blaming life was ridiculous.

We can only adapt to life, not the other way around.

We knew that it had to happen eventually. We knew it, Jane. We did our best to ignore it but it was only a matter of time. It simply happened earlier than what we had imagined, earlier than what we had hoped.

Maybe that's where we got it wrong. We shouldn't have ignored it.

Is it going to change something? Is it going to have an impact on the pace of our days? I wish I could give you a proper answer but I can't because this isn't something I have control over. Of course I hope that it won't have an impact or that – if it does – then the impact will be a positive one. But it's only a hopeful thought and nothing else.

It's not an affirmation at all.

A challenge. Maura wanted to see it as a challenge. If they managed to insert a bit of their American life in their Parisian romance then it meant that – perhaps – what they were living wasn't a mere fling.

It didn't change anything about Quantico though. Nothing at all.

I think that we have the strength it takes. We've been through a lot of things together, Jane. And I honestly think that if we've always overcome whatever situation we had to deal with then it was because we were together.

We've been a couple for a long time. That's the harsh truth. We simply didn't sleep together until last week. The nuance is almost invisible. We've dated without realizing it. We've been an item since the very beginning. Our friendship has always been symbiotic.

We've subconsciously given up on any romantic life because we had each other, and because it was enough for us. This is very telling. As a matter of fact, it couldn't be more meaningful.

Life is full of surprises. We don't know what tomorrow is made of. But there's one thing we're sure of: I belong to you just as you belong to me. Neither of us can deny it.

Maura clicked on the email. She cast a glance at the bathroom door that Jane had left open ajar as she was taking a bath. Their suite was quiet and the sweet moments they had shared in Montmartre today still warmed up their respective hearts.

Everything was perfect.

Back to the laptop screen. Maura focused on the message that Kent had sent her and – within a few seconds – she became the chief medical examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts again.

...

"Amelie" in reference to the movie of the same name, "Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain" in French. Amelie lives and works in Montmartre. It's a sweet movie. I recommend it if you haven't watched it.