Okay, so, this is suuuuuuper AU. Like, modern day mermaids and shit. And I know that isn't many people's cup of tea, but it hit me when I saw a photo on Tumblr and it's been gnawing at my brain. If you don't wanna read it, skip it. Don't go leaving nasty comments.

I pulled from a Greek myth here—kudos to you if you catch which myth I've drawn from.

It was an unfamiliar scent that first alerted Maura to the presence of someone other than herself in the waters. Floral, yet lacking in distinct femininity, the blonde abandoned her underwater grotto and began to make her way towards the splashing at the water's surface where the scent originated.

"Son of a bitch!"

Hearing the agitated voice of a stranger, Maura crossed the waters to hide herself behind a large rock, peering around it to watch the woman attempt to swim her way towards the nearest rock. A smile crossed her face and she let out a chuckle as she watched the woman holding her hands over her head, attempting to use only her legs to steer herself.

It wasn't until Maura saw the white bandages covering the woman's hands that she realized the woman was injured and the salt water had permeated the bandages. Without a second thought, Maura used her arms to push off from the rock from which she'd been hiding and, with a few powerful flips of her tail, was within reaching distance of the struggling woman.

"Excuse me!"

Kicking her legs in what she hoped was a productive manner, the brunette managed to turn her body to see the blonde in front of her. When the brunette's eyes widened and her mouth fell open, Maura huffed at the struggling woman.

"Yes, I'm a mermaid. Yes, I'm not wearing a top of any kind. No, I'm not a siren trying to lure you to your death," she stated. "If you close your mouth and follow me, I have something to help you."

"Help me?" the brunette finally spoke.

"Help your hands to be more specific," Maura noted, gesturing to the way the woman was holding them above the water. "They're obviously injured and I believe I have something that will help protect them from the salt water."

The woman looked towards Maura skeptically.

"If you don't want to believe that I can help you, that's your choice. But if you decide you'd like to try and lessen the pain you're so clearly experiencing, that cave just over there is where you can find me," Maura said as she gestured to a cave a hundred yards away. "Up to you," Maura shrugged before diving headfirst into the ocean and flipping her fin leisurely towards the cave.

"Wait!"

Smiling at the voice from above the water, Maura swam to the surface of the water and turned to face the woman.

"Yes?"

"How can I get to the cave? The salt water…" she trailed off, hoping the blonde would understand her predicament.

With a grin, Maura disappeared back under the water and, humming a tune as she swam, once again began to make her way towards the place she called home.

"Hey! I thought you were gonna—oh, shit!"

Without warning to the brunette, a large sea turtle had made its way towards her and, coming up from below her, was a makeshift surfboard for her to sit on and ride towards the cave. When the turtle made it into the cave and brought the woman as close to the ledge as possible, Maura hoisted herself up to sit on the ledge, only the top of her tail visible above the water, and offered her arms to the brunette.

"I know you're in pain, but try to grasp my forearms. I'll do the same to you and hoist you off Bass and onto the ledge," Maura instructed.

Inhaling a deep breath, Jane reached out and grasped Maura's forearms, hissing in pain as she did so. Maura quickly grabbed onto Jane's forearms and, with an extra nudge from the large sea turtle, was able to hoist Jane onto the ledge that lined the interior of the cave.

"Thanks," Jane breathed. "For offering to help and for giving me a ride here. Never ridden a tortoise before."

"Turtle," Maura corrected with a smile. "I have to swim down to where I keep my supplies. You'll be okay here for a few moments?"

"Yeah, yeah I'll be fine."

With one last look at the pained expression of the woman's face, Maura slipped back into the ocean and began to make her way down to the locked chest her medical supplies were kept in. Quickly taking a few selections and placing them into a drawstring bag, the mermaid made her way back to the mysterious woman who entered her waters. When she emerged back to the ledge, she saw the brunette sadly plucking at purple flowers.

"Are those what make you smell?" Maura asked, propping herself back up to sit next to Jane.

"Make me smell?" the woman laughed.

"Sorry," Maura blushed as she began to pull the small jars from the bag. "That came out wrong. I simply meant that when you came near, the water smelled differently. Floral, yet not highly feminine. I'd never encountered such a scent and am wondering what the origin is."

"Lavender," the brunette smiled as she picked up a soggy flower and handed it to Maura. "I've been carrying this with me since I left home and, well, it's comforting."

"Where is home?" Maura asked, accepting the flower with a smile.

"A little house next to a field of flowers with my family in Rome," the woman replied.

"Sounds like a lovely place to call home," Maura smiled. "May I see your hand? Whichever is dominant is the one I'll start with."

Looking over at the blonde's kind face, Jane offered up her crudely bandaged hand.

Rubbing a lotion onto her hands, Maura began to unravel the gauze to examine the wounds that were so clearly causing the woman pain. When the gauze was peeled away and the fresh scar through the palm of the woman's hand was visible, Maura couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her.

"You can ask me what happened," Jane said as she watched Maura quickly school her facial features back to neutral and began to work with the various bottles she'd brought up from below the water's surface.

"I'd rather not," Maura admitted. "Because then you'll in turn ask me what happened to curse me with this body and I'll feel obligated to tell you and then I'll have to kill you."

"What?"

"Relax," Maura laughed, reaching into the pouch and pulling out a few pieces of seaweed. "I'm only kidding. I wouldn't kill you," she added before changing the subject. "Do you mind if I place a square of seaweed over the wounds before re-bandaging them? I've recently been studying the healing properties of seaweed and think it could do wonders for your wounds."

"Uh, okay?" the brunette replied nervously.

"When I use a particular concoction I've created, the seaweed will form a tight barrier between the wound and any irritant that may permeate the bandage," Maura explained. "In case you were wondering why I'm doing what I'm doing."

"As long as it stops stinging, I don't care what you do," the woman sighed. "My name is Jane, by the way. Figure I should at least introduce myself while you patch me up."

"I'm Maura," the blonde smiled as she unlocked an airtight container and pulled out a fresh roll of gauze.

"Where did you get all these medical supplies?" Jane asked, surprised at the dry gauze Maura had brought from below the water's surface.

"Some have been delivered to me, some I've created with my own hypotheses of various healing elements that can be found in the oceans," Maura replied. "I seal them into airtight containers before bringing them down below."

"Were you a doctor? Before…" Jane trailed off, uncertain of the blonde's feelings towards her ocean dwelling status.

"I was in school to become one, yes."

"And I'm guessing there aren't any underwater universities or anything like that you could finish your degree at?" Jane smiled.

"No," came Maura's sad reply. "As I'm sure you're aware, mer-folk aren't exactly treated with the highest regard and most any attempts made by us to have even so much as an informal educational gathering have been interrupted by sailors. I can't imagine the damage they would do to an entire university, prime for vandalization."

"I'm sorry," Jane apologized. "I kinda know what its like to have your life put on halt when unexpected shit happens," she said she looked down at her hands.

"I'm not going to say I'm a better doctor than any on land, but the cream I've applied to your wounds should work a bit of magic," Maura smiled as she finished the bandage to Jane's left hand. "Dip it in the water," she said happily.

"Uh, why?"

"I want to see if the seaweed has formed the airtight barrier I hoped it would," Maura beamed. "You're the first human I'll have tested on."

"Not the most reassuring thing I've heard but, well, here goes nothin'," Jane said as she timidly slid her hand into the water, waiting a few seconds before looking at Maura with wide eyes. "It doesn't sting!"

"Let me do your other hand," Maura smiled.

"Can you put a shirt or some sorta sea shell bra thing on before you do that? Cuz your chest is a bit distracting," Jane admitted.

"Just one moment," Maura laughed, sliding herself into the water and emerging several moments later with a bandeau style top to cover her breasts. "Contrary to popular depiction, sea shell bras aren't common amongst mer-folk. Completely impractical and uncomfortable. I prefer to simply remain au naturale but you're lucky I keep a few tops handy."

"Thanks," Jane blushed. "I didn't wanna seem rude by staring at your chest or starting to cover your cave in drool."

"You're of the queer variety?" Maura asked, taking initiative and reaching for Jane's right hand to begin bandaging it.

"'Of the queer variety?'" Jane repeated with a chuckle. "If that's your way of asking me if I like women, then yeah. I do."

"Good to know," Maura hummed, more to herself than to Jane, as she quickly performed the same actions on Jane's right hand that she had done to her left hand. "Good as new," she announced once she was finished.

"Yeah, totally. It's like I wasn't even stabbed by a maniacal serial killer then tossed off the ship I was trying to hitch a ride on to get home," she said, voice laced with sarcasm.

"Is that really what happened?" Maura whispered.

"Yeah," Jane replied sadly. "He was running rampant around Rome, attacking and killing couples all over the city. I tracked him down, went to bust his ass, and instead wound up pinned to the floor of a basement with scalpels through my hands."

"Oh, Jane," Maura breathed. "I can't imagine the pain you experienced when that happened to you."

"I've heard the transformation from human to mermaid isn't exactly painless so you can probably imagine more than others," Jane noted. "But my old partner, who'd been helping me track Hoyt down, came in just in the nick of time. Shot Hoyt right through the heart, gave me a man's hat and jacket, and told me to get on the next ship outta Rome until we were sure he didn't have any goonies who might go after me. But the guys on the ship eventually found out I'm a chick and kicked me overboard."

"Hoyt?" Maura exhaled, having frozen the moment she heard that name.

"Yeah. Some med school dropout who turned to homicide for a thrill," Jane said, turning to look at Maura's face. "You're lookin' a little pale. Are you okay?"

"Was this man's first name Charles?"

"You know of him?"

"He's the reason I'm in this body."

"I'm not sure I understand," Jane admitted.

"Before I was cursed, about four years ago, I was engaged. It was arranged entirely by my father who needed the large dowry the Fairfield family was willing to pay to keep his illegal mob business afloat," Maura explained as she began to meticulously seal the bottles of lotions to keep her hands occupied. "One day as I was leaving the labs at university, a man came out of nowhere and raped me. He was most likely going to kill me but a well timed hoard of drunken students scared him off."

"Maura," Jane gasped.

"When I returned home, it was to see my father and fiance discussing certain financial arrangements. Once they realized I was no longer a virgin, Garrett called off the wedding and, in a fit of rage, my father had me cursed to live with a body no man could ever take part in again."

"If Hoyt wasn't already dead, I'd kill him myself for what he did to you," Jane nearly growled. "And your father. I'd get him while I'm at it. Punishing you for what some asshole did to you? What kinda father does that?"

"I'm honored you would go to such lengths to defend a woman you've only just met," Maura smiled sadly. "Though we are admittedly connected by the same horrible monster of a man, which could explain the natural pull I feel towards you while feeling extremely nervous around most other humans."

"Nervous around humans?" Jane said with a smile, watching as Maura began to move her tail up and down below the water, looking out at the ripples it created through the cave. "Does that mean you'd never want to go back to being a human? If you found out how to do that?"

"I've tried to do as much research as possible but, well, it's hard when you're water bound and any resources would be on land," Maura admitted. "And, at least from the other mer-folk I've spoken to, there's no point trying any of the rumored ways to transform back into a human. They don't work."

"What about true love's kiss?" Jane asked with a grin, turning her body to look out towards the ripples Maura's tail still created. "That always works, right?"

"Believe it or not, most women find the tail a bit of a turn off."

Turning her head to look over at the blonde, Jane smiled at the way the mermaid next to her seemed lost in the innocence of creating waves with her tail.

"Where were you headed?"

"Hmm?" Jane asked, jarred from her concentration on the blonde's face.

"The ship you were on that you said tossed you overboard. Where was it headed?" Maura clarified. "I'm not sure how much help I can be getting you where you'd like to be, but I can certainly try to at least get you pointed in the right direction."

"It was headed to Spain," Jane answered. "But it was the first ship leaving and I didn't have time to be picky."

"Well, we're at the south end of Corsica now," Maura stated. "About 250 miles south of the coast of France, which is the closest non-Italian land you'll find."

"Wait. We're at an island? Like, solid ground with real food and real beds and real people and…" Jane trailed off, her face falling when she realized what she had said. "And I'm an asshole."

"No, you're not," Maura shook her head, trying to ignore the sting of Jane's words. "It's nothing to feel bad about. I'm not a real person and that's just how it is. But to answer your question, yes, we're only about a mile off the coast of Corsica. If you swam to the other side of this cave, you'd see the shore."

"Come with me," Jane blurted.

"Come with you?" Maura repeated. "And do what? Hide along the beach out of human sight until you've found a ship willing to accommodate you?"

"I can stay off the grid in Corsica," Jane reasoned. "It's not the mainland and my buddies in Rome will find any of Hoyt's guys before they have a chance to find me. I'll find a little house on the shore and we can...We can be friends."

"As much as I love the idea of being your friend," Maura began, reaching a hand out to place her's gently over Jane's bandaged hand, "we both know what that man is capable of. Find travel to somewhere else. Paris, London, hell even make your way to Boston if you're able to. And if you ever get word that it's safe to return to your Italian homeland...Well, then I expect a visit."

"I have no idea why I'm so reluctant to leave you," Jane admitted. "I know almost nothing about you but I want to do nothing but stay here in this cave with you."

"For someone whose first words I heard were 'son of a bitch,' you seem to be quite the softie," Maura teased gently. "But I feel the same way towards you. And maybe, hopefully, our paths will cross again. And until then, I'm going to call Bass over here to help you get to the island and give you at least a week's worth of ointment and seaweed to care for your wounds."

"Why is your tortoise's name Bass?" Jane asked as she watched Maura tap the surface of the water rhythmically, presumably to attract the animal.

"He's a turtle, and I'll tell you when you come visit," Maura smiled when the large sea turtle made his way to the duo and nudged Jane's leg with his head.

"You've got yourself a deal," Jane smiled as she accepted the drawstring pouch with Maura's mysterious medical supplies and attached it to a belt loop of her pants. "Thanks for patching me up, Maur."

"I would say anytime, but I get the feeling you would take that a bit too seriously," Maura smiled. "Goodbye, Jane."

"Bye, Maura," Jane smiled, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to the mermaid's cheek. At the sound of a gasp coming from the blonde, Jane instantly pulled away and fearfully looked at the woman. "You gasped. Are you okay? Please don't tell me some of his goonies actually found me already."

"No," Maura said as she looked down to her tail. "But my tail. There's the most odd yet delightful warmth that's suddenly filled throughout it."

"I do have that effect on women," Jane grinned.

"Jane, I need you to kiss me," Maura commanded.

"Say what now?"

"Kiss me," Maura repeated. "I'll take my top off if that'll make the deal easier to accept but, please, Jane. Humor me for a few moments and kiss me."

Looking between the mermaid's face and the tail in question, Jane nodded her head and scooted towards the marine woman. Weaving her fingers into wet curls, Jane leaned down and pressed her lips gently to the smaller woman's.

Maura gasped as the warmth spread rapidly through her fin, though stronger than before, and shot her hand out to Jane's curls to keep the woman's lips on hers. She parted her lips, in part curiosity to see her body's reaction and in part because the brunette's lips were simply too irresistible to stop kissing. When Jane's tongue tentatively slipped past Maura's teeth to glide against the mermaid's, Maura's head jerked back without permission and her head tilted upwards to the cave's ceiling.

"Oh, God," the blonde cried out softly. The sensation in her fin was unlike any other she had ever felt and, though the intensity of the feelings did frighten her, she couldn't stop herself from tightening her hold in Jane's hair and guiding the brunette's lips to her neck. "Keep going," she pleaded.

Even if Maura hadn't pleaded for Jane to stop, the brunette's lips would have continued their path down the pale and slightly salty skin of the mermaid. When her hands, though bandaged, made their way to the woman's hips, the suckling of her lips at Maura's pulsepoint abruptly stopped.

"Maura," Jane breathed as she looked down and saw two toned legs where a fin had just been. "Maura, look at yourself."

Releasing a shuddering breath, body tingling from the intimate kiss she'd shared with the human, Maura managed to angle her head back down and open the eyes she had snapped shut in pleasure.

"Oh, my God," the blonde breathed, wide eyes looking up to see Jane's equally surprised face.

Looking back down to the legs she hadn't seen in four years, Maura untangled her fingers from Jane's curls and reached down to run her fingertips over the extremities, tears welling in her eyes without permission when she realized she could feel every sensation.

"What did you...How did you…" Maura stammered before bringing her eyes back to Jane's. "I actually don't care what you did or how you did it," she said, letting out a carefree laugh before reaching for Jane's neck to bring her into another kiss.

"Me neither," Jane smiled, "But you can bet your two little legs that I'm gonna keep doing whatever it is I did."

I'm not 100% happy with this, but it needs to get outta my head. I've got another multi-chap I wanna start now that Letters to Maura is done and getting this out of my head helps make more room for that.

Remember. Hateful reviews, or reviews without constructive criticism will be deleted and/or thrown into a bonfire and used to make s'mores.