Chapter seventeen
When she could see again, Maura saw Jane was on her feet, her body tense over her. It took her a few seconds to realise what Jane was doing before she saw that she was trying to hold back a creature that had once been a man. He wasn't rotten, like he should have been. Maura's power had restored him but his skin was leathery and his eyes were empty and crazed.
And he seemed to be extremely strong.
There were gaping wounds, where Jane had struck him but he had no blood to bleed. Jane on the other side was sweating from the exertion, despite the cold, claw marks on her forearms, her chest and face, filling slowly with blood that dripped down her clothes.
''Maura!'' Her voice was wild and strained. ''You need to order him to back down!''
Maura seemed entranced by what she had raised from the grave. ''My God...'' Was all she managed to mutter. The man hissed and snapped his teeth but Jane was quick and he stumbled. He fell and his knee bent in an odd angle but he rose and went after the Detective again Only then did Maura snap back into reality.
''What do I do?!''
Jane danced around the corpse, glancing back at Maura expectantly.
Finally the Doctor understood and she stood up, putting herself between Jane and the reanimated man. She half expected the claws to slice at her but they did not. The man simply stopped and stared at her.
''You must rest now.'' She whispered, and she watched entranced as the man obediently returned to the grave he had risen from, the dirt swallowing him back into his eternal resting place.
Jane sighed behind her, wiping the sweat off her brow. She was tense but tired.
''Lets go.'' She said, but Maura caught her sleeve and spun her round.
''Did you do it?''
''What?'' Jane snapped, pulling her hand away. ''What are you talking about?'' Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, not only from physical strain but emotional distress too. She seemed to Maura like a person on the point of breaking, not the point of tears but real true madness.
''Did you kill Jasmine?'' She asked and she regretted the words the minute they left her lips. She had expected anger or denial but she watched Jane's face crumble, pain etched deep in her features as she turned her back to her, leaning heavily on a tombstone, as if it was the only thing keeping her upright. Maybe it was.
She walked around the grave, trying to catch Jane's eyes as the woman stood half bent.
''Jane...?'' She tried, placing a hand on her shoulder. The Detective didn't pull away, she moved her lips, trying to say something but she didn't seem to have the air in her lungs to form the words. She wasn't crying but her eyes were wide, lungs seemed filled with cotton that suffocated and drowned her.
Maura wondered dimly what it would feel to love someone so much that the pain of their loss consumed you whole, invading your body and taking over your mind until you're left with nothing but an empty vessel, capable only of feeling pain. The answer was all there, in the horror she saw in Jane's eyes, the tremor of the scarred hands.
''She was my wife!'' Jane finally shouted, her hands clutching Maura's blouse. It was more of a panicked and steadying gesture, not meant to scare the smaller woman and it didn't. ''Emma was my child! She was the blood that run through my veins!'' Her hands shook but the grip did not loosen. ''I would have killed myself before I hurt them!''
Maura placed her hands over Jane's, soothing. ''I'm sorry.''
And then Jane cried. It wasn't graceful, or quiet. She wept, the loss tearing through her body, with claws deadlier than the dead man. She lowed herself to the ground, on her knees, hugging herself, head bowed and body bent in pain, humbled by the emptiness that spread in her chest.
And Maura waited. And waited.
And when Jane quieted and looked up to her, Maura leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips.
She felt Jane react, pulling away from her.
''I am not Dennis!'' She said emphatically, getting to her feet. ''Not everything can be solved with sex!''
She turned to go and confused, Maura called out to her.
''Jane! Please! I wasn't-''
''You're fucked up and you're trying to fix everything by assuming a role you know.'' Jane said through clenched teeth. ''I am not your husband, Maura. You cannot comfort me with sex.'' she took several steps back. ''How can you?! I just lost my wife!''
She walked away and Maura didn't follow. For a long time she stood still, uncomfortable and confused. She was angry with herself but mostly confused. Why in the world was she acting like that? Never before had she initiated like this with another person, even more another woman. Something inside her was pushing her forward towards Jane, as if her blood was calling to her in crashing tides. She had memories of Jane's touch in ways she consciously knew Jane had never touched her and now she had all those memories in her head from a time Jane looked so happy and all she wanted was to make her happy again. Something inside Maura was begging to be closer to the Detective, using those memories she had somehow pulled out of Jane to bring them closer.
She found Jane sitting in the passenger seat, door open and her legs out, elbows resting on her thighs. She didn't acknowledge Maura when she slid in the drivers seat, she just shut the door and leaned back, rolling down the window.
''Jane...'' Maura tried to get the other woman's attention but she ignored her. ''Jane.'' She tried again. ''I'm sorry.''
This time Jane nodded. She sighed and made a tired grimace. ''I know.''
''I don't know what's wrong with me... I just feel...'' She stared on the road ahead, trying to find a way to explain this when she couldn't even understand it herself. ''When I'm around you all I want to do is touch you. I can't keep my hands off you.'' She noticed than on her own accord her hand had reached out to comfort Jane's knee.
''You're discovering your powers. I'm guessing you're a witch or a sorceress of some kind, and you haven't learned how to control this yet.'' Jane turned to her, not shaking Maura's hand away. ''I don't know how you got into my head like that. But I don't want you to do it again, clear?''
''I'll try my best.'' Maura assured her. The touch that had meant to be comforting turned into something else, as her fingers traveled up Jane's thigh, exploring the strong muscles under her jeans.
There was a brief pause before Jane spoke.
''Jasmine's family blamed me for her death. She thought I had some kind of psychotic break and killed them. My family thought my wolf went crazy and killed them. They didn't even let me go to the funeral.'' Her voice was cold, empty of emotion.
''That's terrible.'' Maura whispered, as Jane's hand landed on top of hers.
They came into a halt in front of Maura's house and Jane felt tension rise in her body as Maura saw off the baby sitter and went upstairs to change. The Detective helped herself to a cup of tea in the kitchen but when she turned around she saw that Maura had changed into an extremely see-through night gown.
She set her cup down and walked up to her. Without much thought her hand rested on Maura's waist.
''What are we going to do?'' She asked, voice hoarse.
''What do you want to do?'' The Doctor asked, moving the nightgown up, revealing more and more of her soft skin and legs. She put a hand on Jane's chest and trailed lower, touching the firm stomach she had longer to touch from the very start. She tugged at the hem of Jane's T-shirt and when she was met with no resistance she slowly pulled it over Jane's head.
The Detective was left wearing just her jeans and a sport's top, her toned upper body glistening with sweat and desire. Maura's fingertips explored Jane's passive body, bringing the other woman closer and closer to that point in her head where she lost control. And, suddenly, Jane snapped.
She pushed Maura hard against the wall, her eyes flashing blue fire, as she claimed the woman's lips, biting and bruising. Maura could feel the raw strength behind every movement, the way Jane's one hand had trapped both of her wrists over her head and the other was tearing madly at her close, trying to pull the nightgown away from Maura's body and failing to reveal naked flesh. Buttons flew across the room and the Doctor heard the fabric tear as Jane's hand slipped in through her.
Then Maura felt it, the absolute loss of control she was experiencing. She was at Jane's mercy and it felt dangerous and painful.
''Jane!'' She tried to say. ''Stop!''
Her words were swallowed by another wild kiss, almost angry and vindictive.
''Jane! Please!'' Maura choked, as soon as she had air to spare. ''Stop!''
And just like that it was over. Her hands, released, dropped down, numb on her sides. Jane stood in front of her, breathing heavily. She used the back of her hand to wipe her lips and she turned around and grabbing her shirt she ground her teeth.
''Don't play with the big bad wolf, little girl.'' She growled as she walked out the room. Maura didn't call out to her, she too was out of breath.
She heard the door close and the house was filled with thick silence. Maura lowered herself down on the floor and clenched her fists, mute tears running down her cheeks. Whatever was happening between them seemed extremely dysfunctional but she wanted Jane like she needed air. She didn't have a lot of time to contemplate, soon Danny's crying roused her from the motionless state and she went to feed him.
She spent the day more or less in numbness or anxiety, alternating between the two states. Her presence had been requested by the council at midnight and she managed to catch only two or three hours of sleep before Danny woke her up again. She wondered how she should dress. Should she be casual? Or should she be formal? How formal? What counted as formal in a circle of people who, judging by Jane, preferred to go around naked?
That mere thought made her eyes flash red. God, she thought, Jane had an amazing body. Dennis wasn't by any means fat but Jane had real muscle tone, a type that most women and many men could only dream of having. She was tall and graceful and that hair that flew untamed around her head was inviting Maura to run her hand through it every time she laid eyes on it.
It was that hair she focused on the minute she walked inside the council's meeting. She had expected some type of underground cavern and she had been very surprised to find herself in a very large mansion in the Boston Suburbs. The house was extremely elegant on the outside and well decorated on the inside, modern taste blending with old classics.
A man welcomed as she entered the office. His hair was light brow, now graying. He was slim, his features pleasant as he took her hand and kissed it playfully.
''Doctor Isles.'' He said, his voice enchanting. He was tall, wearing a white shirt and slacks but no tie. ''May I welcome you to my humble household.'' He gestured around the room that hosted a conference table.
''Hands off the Candidate, Hoyt.''
Maura turned to the new voice. Jane's back was turned to them but the mane of black hair made it impossible to mistake her for anyone else. The Detective turned, her eyes cold as she cast a brief glance at Maura. ''You don't want to defile her.''
''Ah, Janie.'' The Man said, his pleasant tone lost as he spoke to the Detective. ''It's Dr Hoyt, for you.'' He walked past her, his shoulder brushing past hers as he bent to whisper in her eyes so only she would hear the words in the room. ''And what if I want to?''
Vince Korsak was already seated by the table, along with a blond woman and a big man in his late fifties. Vince smiled at her, as did the woman, but the other man remained unimpressed. There was a mass on the floor, covered with a white sheet and Maura assumed this was the body.
''Dear Members of the Council...'' Doctor Hoyt said. ''I think it is time to start.'' For the first time Maura noticed a thick old looking book in front of him and write down the date. ''Vince Korsak, Alpha of the Moonstone Pack.''
''Present.'' Said Korsak.
''Patrick Doyle, Alpha of the Nightwalkers Pack.''
''Present.''
''Hope Martin, Leader of the Boston Coven.''
''Present.
''Jane Rizzoli, Executioner for the Boston Alliance.''
Jane cast another look at Maura before answering. ''Present.''
''And of course, Warren Hoyt, Master of the City and Master of the Boston Vampires, Present.'' Dr Hoyt finished. He turned to Maura, who was still standing. ''Doctor Maura Isles?''
''Um, Present?'' She muttered, unsure.
''Very well!'' He grinned at her and Maura followed Jane's eyes to him, the barest hint of blue in their depths. ''You may begin, now, Maura.''
Maura knelt by the body and she saw that there was already a bowl and a dagger ready for her. She watched Jane's muscles shift when she made the cut into her own palm and it distracted her from the pain. Slowly she painted the two symbols over the sheet, not yet ready to face the body underneath. She closed her eyes, a hand over each symbol and she sighed, pouring herself, her life into the dead body.
She knew it was working because she felt the cool energy, her own this time, cold because it wasn't blended with Jane's energy. She somehow knew it didn't matter how loudly she said the words, and so she whispered.
''Rise.''
True enough the body rose, peeling the sheet away, to reveal a beautiful red-haired woman in a plain blue dress. She sat up and then rose to her feet with Maura's help but she was dead, her eyes followed Maura but they were dead, there was intelligence behind them but no emotion. Her skin was intact but deadly white, no blood coursing under the surface.
Then suddenly Maura realised she had seen this woman before.
''What is the meaning of this Hoyt?!'' Jane's voice boomed ominously behind her.
Maura has seen this woman twice before, once in the frame she had knocked on the floor in Jane's living room and once in the half finished painting in Jane's bedroom.
She had unknowingly risen Jasmine Freeman.
Now what do you guys think of Maura's and Jane's relationship and now of this new development? Please feed the writer . And whatever your request is, please ask nicely, no need to be rude. All criticism accepted.
LK