Another chapter, I hope you like it. I also hope the relationship between Jane and Maura isn't moving too fast, what do you guys think?
Sorry I havent posted in a few days, I've been quite busy but I never stopped working on this little by little

Chapter 22

Maura woke to the sound of Jane's humming. Even without opening her eyes she was aware of the Detective's presence like a soft shadow behind her eyelids. No, she realised. It wasn't a shadow, it was a light, a light inside her head that burned with the werewolf's proximity. Curious but mostly delightfully weary she looked up and met Jane's eyes. The brunette smiled gently and Maura noticed that she was sitting up against the headboard, cradling Danny in her arms.

He was sleeping peacefully and Maura made a point in her mind to ask Jane how she was able to do this.

''Hey...'' the Detective whispered and Maura felt her heart twitch at the mere sound of her voice. ''Are you okay?''

Maura smiled back at her, rolling on her side to curl her body as much as possible around Jane's. ''Never been better.''

''Maur?'' Jane's left hand came down to stroke the Doctor's hair.

''Yes?'' Maura asked, resting her head on Jane's leg. She was still naked under the sheets, she realised, but she didn't care. Had it been her husband she would do everything to put the barrier of clothes between them but her body seemed to want to be as close as it was physically possible to Jane's, skin on skin.

''Do you regret it?'' Jane asked and for the first time Maura saw the vulnerability behind her eyes. Her features were soft and sleepy, even with any trace of make up washed away she was gorgeous. Maura briefly wondered how in the world had she ended up with this exotic creature in her bed, a creature that could rip anyone to shreds yet had treated her only with gentleness, as if she was made of fine porcelain.

''No.'' She answered honestly. ''I have no regrets.''

''Good.'' Jane said, leaning close to place a kiss on the top of Maura's head. ''We need to talk about Dennis.''

The mere mention of his name made Maura to pull away, sitting up with her knees drawn up. ''What about him?'' She asked and even she knew that Jane didn't deserve the defensiveness of her tone.

Jane's voice was thick when she looked down at Danny instead of Maura. ''They found him.''

''They?''

''Members of an assisting team the community has given me access to.''

Jane didn't know what to make of the silence that followed. She didn't know how to break the news to Maura about what would have to follow. She also didn't know how that would affect the fragile relationship they were trying to built. She wondered if Maura would act like any other battered wife and hate her for attacking her husband.

The Doctor's reply was icy. ''Is he dead?''

Maura's question startled Jane. From all the things she had expected that one wasn't even in the list. ''No.'' She mumbled. ''He's alive.''

Maura held out her arms and Jane gave her the little boy. She watched as the blond embraced him defensively. That was his father they were talking about.

''Maura.'' Jane shifted, coming to kneel in front of the Doctor in her BPD T-shirt. ''Do you understand what I will have to do?''

''You'll have to kill him.''

Jane froze, her hand coming up to instinctively rub at the X painted on the side of her neck. She looked at Maura, trying to understand what was going on in the Doctor's head, she had expected she would have to explain the reason she would have to do it, explain softly and slowly yet Maura didn't seem to need any explanation. The truth was plain and clear, Dennis would have to die.

''I tried to let you sleep as much as I could but it's almost time.'' Jane lowered her eyes. ''This is my job Maur, I have to protect our community, now more than any other time.''

Maura nodded but she didn't talk. Jane could see that she had underestimated Maura, she was not a broken little woman. She knew what had to be done and she wasn't going to be a problem. It was both troubling and a relief. A relief because she didn't feel strong enough to fight with Maura on this but troubling because it was terrifying to think what Dennis could have done to her to get this soft spoken woman to not care whether he lived or died. Jane knew it was normal to be able to feel some of her future mate's emotions, after what they had done last night, and the only thing she could feel from Maura at the mention of Dennis' name was anger.

''It was Hope Martin who called.'' Jane said, clearing her throat, when Maura kept her silence. ''She has accepted you in their coven as a Necromancer. I don't know if that's all you are but she has promised me to help you explore your abilities.'' She really wished Maura would say something now. ''And so she has taken Dennis' threat to you as a direct threat to the coven, and I am in charge of exterminating any possible threat to the supernatural community.'' She hoped the explanation would make sense to Maura and would prove she had no personal motive in killing Dennis. But she knew that was a lie. She wanted to make this man suffer ten fold for every time he laid a hand on the woman she loved. She wanted to make him suffer for every time he terrorized and brutalized her.

Instead of an answer Maura rose to her knees, letting the bed covers slide down on the mattress to reveal her naked body, and she placed a small kiss on Jane's lips, Danny safely held between them. ''That's good.'' She said finally.

And just like that she Jane in the car, Danny in Frost's care back in the house, the woman she was desperately falling in love with right next to her, their hands accidentally meeting when Jane went to change the radio station, a small smile shared and then they were singing along to ''Maybe'' by Brainstorm. And nobody that would take a glance at them in the highway would ever guess that they were going to decide a mans fate, that it was the day Maura's life would change forever.

When the music died down Jane felt the silence weigh heavy on her once more and when she turned to look at Maura she found her eyes full of unshed tears. A hand on her knee was a question enough.

''Yes.'' Maura admitted. ''Of course its hard for me, Jane. He's the father of my child.'' She swallowed. ''But he's also the man...'' Her voice broke and the Detective squeezed her knee gently.

''I'm sorry Maur.'' She said, even though she wasn't sorry she would kill him. ''Maura...'' She let her words trail off. ''Maura did he ever...'' She ground her teeth, knowing that nothing she said would sound right. ''Last night... you seemed... did he ever... I mean... did he ever force you to do something you didn't want to?'' That was probably the best way she could have voice that.

Maura's look made her wish she hadn't asked.

''He was my husband, Jane.'' She said, as if that explained everything.

''I know, but this doesn't give him the right to... I mean... if you don't want to... it doesn't give him the right to...'' Jane huffed. She was so terrible at this. She hoped that her hand over Maura's would say all those things she would never be able to.

''I know.'' Maura said, but she didn't give any other information.

Jane threaded their fingers together and brought Maura's hand up, kissing her knuckles. ''I love you.'' She said. She didn't know where that came from but it did and she surprised herself to find that it didn't bother her nearly as much as she thought to. ''And I'm going to kill myself before I do anything to hurt you.''

Maura simply put her other hand over Jane's and closed her eyes. If she focused she could alway feel Jane's presence, like a fire burning inside her, giving her life and courage. She wondered if that was what falling in love felt like, almost supernatural. Or maybe it was supernatural, and that was a part of Jane's wolf inside her now, protecting her. She didn't care. She wondered if she should tell Jane about it but she was scared that if she spoke out loud about it it would disappear.

She had expected the witch to live in a mansion similar to where Charles Hoyt had but it was simply another warehouse, empty but well lit. She supposed that the witches needed a lot of free space to do whatever witches do.

It took her less than a minute to recognise the kneeling form in the middle of the empty floor, a circle of twelve women staring up at her as she walked up to them. They were nothing like the medieval witches she had envisioned but the man on his knees was definitely Dennis. He sported an ugly cut on his cheek bone but other than that he looked to be okay. It looked like Jane hadn't injured him fatally in her wolf form.

''Maura...'' He said, his eyes lighting up when he saw her. ''Baby!''

The woman she recognised as Hope Marting waved a hand at his directions, cutting his next words short.''Silence, Human.''

Nothing seemed to physically restrain him to the floor but his arms were sticking out, wrists pressed firmly together by invisible bounds. She was sure the Witch was doing something to him. She could hear Jane growling softly in the back of her throat and she reached out, hand on her arm to calm her down. She could feel the tug of Jane's body, the pull of her wolf reaching out to protect what was theirs to keep safe.

''I'm fine baby...'' She said, before she realised Dennis was there too and Jane had stepped between them, her body physically shielding her even though it shouldn't be necessary with twelve witches around.

''What is the meaning of this?!'' He asked, looking back and forth between the two women. ''What have you done to my wife?!''

Jane shot one last look, an unspoken question, and when the Doctor nodded she turned back to him. ''She's not your wife anymore.''

''Wha-''

It was Hope Martin who intervened, and Dennis' body shuddered without so much as her touch. ''Silence.'' She turned to Jane and Maura had the time to observe that she was an attractive woman still, in her early to mid forties with blond hair and green eyes, and to Maura's mild amusement a little like an older version of herself. It made her think of her mother, Constance, and how disapproving she would have been of ending her marriage like that.

And yet she didn't care, because she had Jane.

For the first time she didn't care about what her mother had to say.

''You have two options, Dennis.'' Jane said. ''You can tell me everything about how and why you had the silver ammo and I will kill you.''

''What?! This makes no sense!'' He forced out a laugh, looking nervously now at Maura. ''Baby, come on, don't be stupid now, tell this crazy woman-''

''Option two, you refuse and I'm going to leave you with Hope's coven and they are going to use you as dark magic target practice.''

Hope nodded. ''We've been looking for someone to test a new batch of torture spells.'' She agreed and Maura knew she wasn't joking, in fact she wasn't sure if the woman knew how to joke.

''You fucking wolf dyke!'' Dennis howled accusingly, his eyes narrowing at Jane. ''You've turned my wife into-''

He never got to finish his sentence, because his eyes opened wide, his mouth agape in a silent scream and it was clear that despite Hope's non chalant demeanor, that she was doing something to him. He shook and shuddered, sweat streaming down his face, soaking his shirt, his head bowed and resting on the floor.

''Jane...'' Maura's voice snapped Jane back into action. The Doctor was crying and a small part of Jane was angry at the man who had treated the woman she loved in such a hideous way and yet still caused her pity.

He went motionless and Hope filled in the silence. ''We found two bodies, partly covered in plaster in his hide out basement. He appears to be trying to use them for purposes of black magic.''

''You idiot.'' Jane snorted. ''You cant perform black magic without an inherent gift. You're either born able to do it or you're just human.''

The effects of Hope's spell were dying out and he was able to look up to her. ''You don't understand.'' He said with a hoarse voice. ''This man, this very powerful man approached me and he... he told me all about you monsters... he... he told me Daniel is one of you!''

''What?'' Maura had been into the backround long enough. ''What? What are you talking about?''

''You heard me Maura!'' The muscles of his neck tensed with the effort of getting the words out. ''And you know what he said? He said that the only way that's possible is if one of his parents is a... a beast too! And I know I'm not and you are not either so that boy you kept in my house is not my son! He's just a bastard!'' He was not able to get up slowly yet he didn't dare step closer. ''You screwed some monster and tried to hide a little bastard in my house! All this man wanted in exchange for his magic was that little best you kept in my house! And you know what I told him?! I told him he can take that beast because he is no son of mine and he can do whatever he pleases!''

Maura stumbled and it was Jane's offered arm that kept her up. She was openly crying now, realisation of what Dennis was willing to do to her baby son sinking in and hitting her hard like a freight train. ''You idiot...'' She hiccuped. ''That boy is your son, YOUR son, I've never been with another man in my life... what have you done? What have you done?!''

''You are lying!'' He screamed and just like that he was lunging at her, his arms grabbing her from behind and pulling her against his chest in a choke hold. ''Get back!'' He shrieked when Jane took a step closer. ''Get back or I swear I'll snap her neck!''

Look at me, Jane's eyes said to Maura. Just me, you're safe. And Maura knew she was, because she felt Jane's ''aura'' for lack of a better word, rise and bubble around her like water spilling out of a pot. It enveloped her like a sea of scalding blood but it was not focused at her, but Dennis and Jane kept forcing more and more his way, filling him whole with the white hot anger of a wolf who sees her mate in danger. She growled and Dennis' grip around her throat loosened. She felt him fall and he knees went weak.

She would have fallen if Jane hadn't caught her in time, pulling her into an embrace as the honey blond doctor broke down into sobs that unmercifully wrecked her body. ''He's yours.'' Jane said, looking at Hope over Maura's shoulder. ''I have to figure out what is going on with Danny.''

What do you think of all that's happened so far? What do you think will happen next? Let me know...We're going to look into Jane's family in the next couple of chapters
LK