CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

When the sun rises and Garrett wakes, Maura can hear his angry outburst coming from their bedroom inside the cabin.

"Captain!" he bellows. "Why is the land on the wrong side of the yacht? Oh, she did?"

Perched on her sun lounger, where she's spent the rest of the night wrapped up in her blanket unable to sleep, she shifts her gaze from the mesmerizing horizon to the window. Garrett stares daggers at her, his flared nostrils shooting condensation upon the glass where his nose is pressed up against it. Staring back, she can only smirk in satisfaction, amused that the simple act effortlessly heightens his rage.

"Well, she's gone too far this time. I am done being treated like an idiot!"

If the other occupants of the boat aren't already awake at this early hour, they will be now, she thinks, as he bangs down the intercom handset and slams the bedroom door behind him.

"So we're heading back to Swampland?!" he fumes as soon as his feet hit the deck outside the cabin.

Full of an odd sense of calm, she's not seeking permission, doesn't need his understanding, doesn't want anything from him except to let her go. She glances down at the ring she retrieved while he slept, her left hand splayed on her thigh as her right fiddles with the macaroni at her neck. "I want to go back, Garrett," she states simply.

"To her?!" he shrieks.

"Yes," she nods firmly, heart rate picking up as she glances at him briefly. "I'm sorry."

He's already storming back inside as he growls, low and threatening, "You haven't begun to be sorry, you fucking hillbilly!"

oOo

Jane hasn't slept a wink, thoughts of Maura swirling in her mind, constant through every crawling minute of darkness.

The boys barely touch their breakfast, running out the back door as soon as she waves them off, forcing the garbage disposal to eat four bowls of soggy cornflakes.

As she rinses dishes, instead of leaving them dirty on the table as is her inclination, it is yet more thoughts of her would-be soulmate that drive her.

Everything is different.

Maura's spirit seems to haunt her home, in every room where she left her mark. Jane can't escape the cleanliness and order, the smattering of objects they acquired together, the homey touches Maura added with her own fair hands. She's imprinted here, lingering traces on every surface, in Jane's bed, in her heart, behind her eyelids as she sighs heavy over the sink.

Swallowing hard, she dries her hands and reaches for her phone. She knows swallowing her pride comes next.

oOo

Storming onto the bridge like a Pamplona bull let loose, Garrett physically hauls his uniformed crew toward the doorway. "Doyle, go below with the crew. I'm taking over." Leaning further into the opening, he yells at Maura's aide as she approaches, drawn by the commotion. "Susie, go get Dr. Korman! Go!"

When he turns back to the wheel, the co-captain has taken over navigation in place of his ousted superior. "Get out of my way!" he shouts, body checking the man away from the steering apparatus.

"But, sir!" he exclaims, clearly confused by the sudden and hostile takeover.

"I'm in charge!" Garrett barks, swiftly turning the wheel, and the boat, in the opposite direction. "We're coming about... full speed ahead!"

oOo

Here goes nothing, Jane thinks as she strides across the lawn.

"Who is it?" the boys yell in unison, answering the thumping fist on the shed door.

"Dr. Death," she shouts, waiting for them to catch on. "You gruesome ghouls wanna perform a rescue or what? Let's go!"

"We're gonna go get her!" Johnny squeals as the four come rushing out into the backyard.

Jane waves them on, already stalking determinedly back into the house. "Come on! Korsak said his friends'll help us!"

oOo

There's no sense in trying to wrestle him for control of the wheel, so Maura stands back, arms folded casually across her chest. "Whatever you do, I'm getting off at the next port."

"Don't be ridiculous," he spits, "Nobody leaves a Fairfield."

"I don't love you," she sighs, tired of the fight. "Please try to understand that."

Garrett throws his hands up with a scoff. "What has love got to do with marriage?"

"Clearly nothing!" she barks, reacting on instinct to him hitting a specific nerve, releasing years of resentment that she's kept bottled up. "I knew that as soon as I caught you fucking the maid one month after our wedding... and then the pool boy three weeks after that!"

A quick snort of air from his nose is all the acknowledgement she receives. No denial, no regret, nothing. It makes things easier in a way, she supposes, wishing now that she hadn't already apologized.

"You'd actually prefer living in squalor with that cave dwelling dyke!"

That's rich, she bristles, given their coincidental bisexuality was one of very few things they had in common in the beginning. The slur is sickening, but the next words out of his mouth are really what knock the wind out of her.

"They should have kept you locked in that hospital psych ward!"

"What did you say?" she rasps, a deep frown paining her brows. "How did you know that? You left me there, didn't you?" Whisper quiet disbelief is quickly replaced by fury. "You bastard! How could you? After everything I gave up to be with you! I should have been a doctor, not some preposterous, pathetic trophy wife!"

"Call me all the names you want, blame me for everything, I don't care." Turning away from the wheel, he stalks menacingly toward her. "Do you wanna know what I was doing while you were gone? I'll tell you. I was partying with hookers. I fucked them, too," he sneers, jabbing an index finger in her face, "and they loved it!"

Maura sniffs as he turns, moving back to the wheel.

Many bad things have happened to her over the years, some of them well deserved, and at least one she earned by her own actions - instigating Jane's payback. She realizes that now, but this... it leaves her speechless. Fathoming how she ever deserved such vile treatment is something her vast brain can't compute.

"Yes. I did leave you! So what?"

Turning her back, she slinks quietly off the bridge, numb to the sting of him admitting what she already knew to be true.

oOo

From the open bridge of a United States Coast Guard motor speedboat, Lieutenant Commander Cavanaugh regards his lifelong friend with apprehension. "I really hope I don't get court-martialled for this, Vince."

Korsak claps the man on the shoulder, "Yeah, I owe you one."

The uniformed man flicks his chin in the direction of his subordinate. "Anything in the manual, Martinez?"

Trying not to sneer outright, the crewman is still unable to mask his opinion that the mission is ridiculous. "Not about pulling alongside a ship and telling a passenger you love them, sir." His sarcasm earns him a well deserved glare from his superior.

"Well, put your nose back in that book and find something!" orders Cavanaugh.

Suitably chastened, Petty Officer Martinez turns away as Korsak smirks. "Aye, Sir."

"Vessel sighted straight ahead, sir!" Seaman Crowe declares, binoculars pressed to his face.

Korsak moves to get a closer look for himself as Cavanaugh demands, "Identify."

"I can't," Crowe grumbles, "There's a fat guy in my way, sir."

Head whipping around, Korsak lunges, trying to scruff the annoying junior officer. "Who you callin' fat, you little weasel! Come here!"

The roof mounted loudspeaker sounds as they speed closer, Martinez attempting to make contact. "Auras Smile. Come in, Auras Smile."

Jane's voice sounds from the bow, yelling through a handheld loudspeaker as she points at the yacht. "That's her, Korsak! That's her!"

As the man peers down at the family on deck, arms waving in all directions, Korsak watches Johnny snatch the device from his mother. "Stop that boat," he booms out across the waves, channeling Pee Wee Herman as usual. "Let me get my mom!"

oOo

Ducking inside the engine room, Maura cries, "How do I stop the boat? I have to stop the boat!"

The only crew member in sight, a heavily tanned man wearing the most startled expression she's ever seen, snaps his head in her direction. He's filthy, oil smudges and general grime marring his dark features, the starkest contrast imaginable to her fair skin and immaculate evening wear. "Ma'am, only the Captain can stop the boat," he informs, studying her from head to toe, clearly wondering what Mrs. Fairfield is doing down here for the first time in her life and whether or not he's going to survive the experience.

"I'm the captain!" she barks, immediately killing all argument as the crew member jumps to attention. "No, please don't salute! I have to find the emergency stop -" she murmurs to herself as she pushes past him, eyes scouring the walls, frantically feeling her way around. "A-ha! Here it is!" she exclaims as she locates a big red button on the back wall in between two metal junction boxes.

"No, please!" the man begs fruitlessly, arms reaching out to pull her back as she smashes her palm against the button repeatedly.

The engines die instantly and the silence is music to her ears. "Yes, it stopped!" She turns back to the man, eyes wide with excitement, gripping him by the shoulders. "Now, I need to get us turned around. How can we -?"

But her question is drowned out by the loud horn blast of another boat.

She stares at the open doorway likes it's an escape hatch and she's been trapped down there for years, gasping as the boat makes two more horn blasts, rocketing her heart rate into the stratosphere.

"She's here! She's here!" she squeals, jumping up and down, grinning wildly as the confused man is jostled beneath her hands. "That's her!"

Sprinting up the stairs to the lower deck, she rushes straight to the yacht's edge, her midriff colliding with the rail. The Coast Guard boat is still a distance away but she can clearly see a tall figure on the bow, long raven locks blowing in the wind.

"She's here!" she laughs, clutching both hands over her galloping heart.

Garrett's voice booms from the deck directly above her. "That's fuckin' mutiny. She's at the bottom of this mutiny. I'm gonna rid myself of this albatross."

Really? she thinks, now he's going to let her go?

"Jane!" she cries, waving her arms above her head. Come get me, she begs silently. I choose you! She's too busy to notice Susie coming up behind her.

"Ma'am, the ship has stopped! What happened?" she asks, face full of concern.

"Nothing," Maura gushes, grabbing the woman's hands in her own, still beaming from ear to ear. "Everything's wonderful," she breathes, glancing back over her shoulder again at the smaller boat that keeps getting closer and closer.

oOo

"Message over the radio, sir." Crowe passes a slip of paper to Lieutenant Commander Cavanaugh, slipping Korsak a smirk as he does so.

Catching sight of a waving blonde, her gold dress glinting and sparkling in the early morning sun, Jane screams across the surface of the water for all she's worth, hands cupping the sides of her mouth. "Maura! Ha-ha!" She can't hold in the disbelieving laughter that bubbles up from deep within, so sure was she that Maura wouldn't want anything to do with her. It feels a lot like winning the lottery to realize she is wrong.

"Looks like the fun's over," Cavanaugh states brusquely, turning to look at Korsak. "We've got some poachers fishing in illegal waters. That takes precedence over your friend's love life."

Korsak gives him an imperceptible nod. There's no sense in arguing his request for a favor over serious official business, though Sean does look mildly apologetic.

"Come about!" the Lieutenant orders.

Crowe moves down onto the deck, trying to retrieve the handheld loudspeaker from a very stubborn Johnny, "Son, no more radio. Now give it back."

Quick to intervene and pinning a warning look on the snotty little man who seems to like giving children orders a little too much, Jane stands in his way. "Hey! Hey! Hey, wait a..." Craning up to the open bridge she shouts, "Hey, Vince! What's goin' on?"

"We're turnin' round," he explains, "They're going after some poachers."

"No, no, no," Jane mutters under her breath, snapping back around to get another look at the yacht as their direction begins to change. Their boats are so close, she is so close, can already almost feel Maura in her hands again, and it makes her fingers tingle as she imagines the blonde slipping away.

oOo

Maura's smile quickly drops off as the Coast Guard boat starts to turn away. "She's leaving," she breathes, a hand latching desperately onto Susie at her side. "Oh no. Where's she going?"

"Catarina!" she hears Jane cry, watching the brunette climb onto the side of the Coast Guard's vessel.

Maura's heart leaps into her throat. Jane's use of the legendary name she'd heard about on the most magical night of her life fills her instantly with all the love she had felt in Jane's arms. "Arturo!" she calls back.

Several uniformed crew scramble to stop Jane from doing what it looks like she's planning, but they're not fast enough as the brunette yells "I'm coming!" and dives into the ocean.

"Shit! Sound the horn," grumbles Cavanaugh. "Coming about again, Crowe."

"Woman overboard!" Martinez's voice booms from the Coast Guard loudspeaker as Maura gasps, leaning over the rail, eyes searching for her love.

"Maura!" Jane sputters as soon as she breaks the surface.

The blonde already has one leg over the rail in her attempt to follow Jane's lead.

"Oh, no, ma'am. I cannot let you do this!" Susie snaps, grabbing her upper arm firmly.

"What?" Maura shouts, eyebrows shooting upward, shocked that the one person she might have called a friend on this godforsaken vessel is stopping her from chasing her destiny. But she needn't have worried when Susie breaks into a smile.

"Not without a lifejacket," she says, before retrieving and securely fitting a bright orange life preserver to her employer.

"Jane! I'm coming!" Maura cries without further delay, slinging one leg after the other over the rail until she sits precariously on the edge.

Susie chuckles at the ridiculous blonde. "You could play a little harder to get, y'know."

"Tell my mother I'll call her!" Maura says, parting with a wink and pushing herself off into the water below.

"Woman overboard!" crackles the Coast Guard loudspeaker again.

Crowe leans into the Lieutenant as he lowers his binoculars, "She's wearing an evening dress, sir."

"Let's go! My moms are out there! Let me..." Travis shouts.

Korsak watches him lift the last of his siblings over the side before Cavanaugh grabs his attention with a heavy sigh.

"Do me a favor, Vince… Get those kids out of the damn rescue boat."

Everyone freezes as gun shots blast the air overhead.

On the upper deck of the Auras Smile, Garrett Fairfield has lost his mind. Peering over the edge at the two women still swimming toward each other, he screams, "Stop! You treasonous tramp! Conspiring with the enemy at sea is mutiny!"

He's lining up another shot with his revolver, a deadly sneer marring his features. It's clear it's not going to be a warning shot this time and Jane treads water, staring up into his devilish eyes and praying silently under her breath.

Lord help her, if he snatches Maura away from her a second time she promises to hunt him down and make sure he sleeps with the fishes.

Whatever her wish, before anyone knows what is happening he is falling. Falling headfirst overboard, his gun flies out of his hand as he screams in panic.

"Another man overboard!" shouts the loudspeaker, Martinez starting to sound a little bored at the repetition.

Garrett surfaces, exploding out of the water with a furious roar, both hands empty.

Everyone lets out a huge sigh of relief and Susie appears on the top deck, peering down at Mr. Fairfield as he spits and shivers. "Consider that my resignation, sir!" she calls, offering a casual salute before flipping him the finger and disappearing with a laugh.

As a strong swimmer, Jane makes headway much faster than the blonde, but then she's not wearing a life preserver that impedes every arm stroke.

"Maura!" she beams breathlessly, finally able to reach out and touch the woman.

Letting herself be hauled into strong arms, the blonde gladly accepts the immediate shower of desperate kisses that rain down all over her face, "Oh, Jane!" she pants,

"Maura! I'm so sorry! I love you!" Jane professes adamantly, taking chilled rosy cheeks between her palms to ensure their eyes meet. "I'll never leave you again! Ever. I'll never let you go! I'm so in love with you, Maura."

Blurting a teary laugh, Maura shucks her life preserver off one shoulder in order to get her arms further around her woman. Never has her heart felt so close to bursting. "I'm in love with you, too," she whispers, lips a hairsbreadth from Jane's mouth before they meet properly.

Jane moans softly as Maura wraps shapely legs around her lower body. She's never seen the gold dress before but it's definitely a keeper even if it is totally ridiculous for taking a dive into the bay.

"Woman overboard is kissing the other woman overboard," squawks Seaman Crowe as the Coast Guard vessel pulls up slowly beside the bobbing bodies. "Our rescue boat is deployed to starboard. The guy with the gun is being pulled in at port. It's a helluva day at sea, sir."

"I can't believe you did it," Jane gawps at the blonde.

Even Maura can't believe the things she done today. No one could have predicted it, least of all her. She's never felt less and more like herself at the same time. "Oh, I saw you jump so I jumped!" she exclaims, lifting her arms in the air in celebration. She'd made her choice, found the courage from god knows where, and freed herself.

Jane shakes her head, suitably impressed at her bravery, but, "No, I don't mean that. I can't believe you gave all that up just for me."

Oh. "I didn't," Maura smiles softly.

Eyebrows scrunched tightly together, Jane does a double take, confused, "What do... What do you mean?"

"Well, the truth is…" Shaking fingers stroke down Jane's cheek, "… it's mine; the boat, the money, everything. I didn't marry into money, honey… Garrett did." Jane's jaw is slack and Maura's smile drops off for a moment as she watches the cogs turn and waits for a reaction.

Realization takes a second to dawn, but when it does, dark eyebrows lift and pink lips draw into a bright smile.

Maura's anxiety floats away and the corners of her mouth turn upward again. Grinning and wiggling her eyebrows draws a low chuckle from the brunette who grips her tightly by the waist as they tread water and wait to be rescued.

There's not a single thing to worry about, she thinks. From now on, they're going to be just fine. Together.

oOo

As the boat cruises into dock, Jane and Maura stand on the deck, wrapped together in a single blanket. With wet hair slicked back and arms encircling each other's waist, they nuzzle their noses, eyes only for their love.

"Did you tell 'em?" Maura asks, her breath washing over Jane's face.

"That it turns out you're not just a smarty pants but actually Doctor smarty pants?"

Rolling her eyes, Maura swats feebly at the brunette. "No. About the money," she drawls.

"Yeah," Jane chuckles, dipping her head for a second before tipping it to the side in the direction of their children. "They're making out their Christmas lists."

"Oh, already?" Maura laughs sweetly, dropping her forehead to meet Jane's. It's not a surprise really; the boys have never had very much. She's looking forward to spoiling them all rotten.

"Johnny wanted to know how to spell Porsche," Jane informs, making them both crack up.

When the laughs die down, Jane inhales deeply, pulling Maura to her tightly. "They did get me thinking, though. What can I possibly give you, ever, that you don't already have?"

"Oh…" Maura breathes, gazing adoringly into Jane's warm chocolate eyes. Pushing a hand up from beneath the blanket, she toys with silky dark curls for a moment before cupping Jane's face. Fingers trace a strong jaw, dip into the handsome cleft of her chin before moving up to the nape of her neck.

Pulling Jane towards her, she plants a slow, sensuous kiss on chilled lips. Jane makes her want everything all at once; the life she dreamed of two decades ago, the new life she dreams of now. Everything she gave up... and gave up on.

When their eyes meet again, her smile is brighter than the sun. She has more than she'll ever need. And yet...

"A little girl."