"If you're sure you want to be alone?" said Maura, not trying to hide the concern for her friend in her voice. "If you need me, call and I'll come over." Jane confirmed that she wanted to be alone, and they said their goodbyes. The funeral had been harder on everyone than they'd expected, and Maura had seen in Jane's eyes that she was struggling, but respected her desire to be alone. Unfortunately, Maura was also struggling with her grief and could have used the company of her best friend, although she understood Jane's need to be alone. Usually Maura was fine with her own company- in fact, she preferred it- but tonight she felt drained and emotionally battered. She knew Angela was home with Lieutenant Cavenaugh, and Maura knew if she asked, Angela would gladly welcome Maura to join them. Maura didn't want to be the third wheel, not tonight. She set out walking to clear her head, and before she knew it, she was standing outside an apartment block she'd never been inside of but somehow her feet had known the resident would provide her with the support and comfort she desired. The main door was open, and she let herself in, climbing the tired looking stairs to the third floor. She hesitated outside the green painted door, unsure if she was doing the right thing or if she should just go home. The thought of her empty house, a thought that usually appealed to her and offered solace, instead seemed a cold and uninviting prospect, and before she had time to think, she'd lifted her hand and knocked on the door. She heard footsteps inside the apartment and contemplated turning and leaving but she couldn't move. The door opened a crack, revealing Frankie, wearing just a towel, hair still wet from the shower.
"Maura!" he exclaimed. She blushed at the sight of his lightly muscled chest, still gleaming from his steaming shower and caught his eye.
"This was a bad idea." She stammered, blushing even hotter. "I'm just... I'm just going to leave. I'm sorry I disturbed you, Frankie. Goodnight." She turned to leave, cursing herself mentally for turning up unannounced. What had she been thinking?! She felt a strong hand gently grasp her arm, and Frankie's gentle voice said "Come in, I'll make you some tea". Maura felt a magnetic pull into Frankie's apartment, and allowed him to gently guide her inside and lead her to his sofa. She sat down, and looked into his eyes, and felt at ease.
"Give me two minutes to get dressed and I'll make that tea." Frankie smiled at her and placed his hand on her shoulder for a second before retreating to his bedroom. In what felt like just a few seconds, he was back in the kitchen, wearing grey sweatpants and a red t-shirt. Maura walked into the kitchen to offer her help, and let out a surprised "Oh!" when she saw his feet. He laughed at her reaction to his enormous brown furry slippers, shaped like the feet of a bear or a monster, and she smiled shyly.
"Jane bought me these for my birthday last year" he explained, with a twinkle in his eye. "I've never worn them before, but I thought they might make you smile" And with that small gesture, Maura knew she'd made the right choice in seeking out Frankie for comfort. He'd instinctively known that she'd need something small but surprising to make her smile, just to break her out of the black mood she'd been in since leaving the funeral. She sat down on a stool at the counter, and watched as Frankie deftly made the tea, and pulled a packet of chocolate cookies from a cupboard. Soon he was done, and they moved back to the sofa. Frankie reached down to Maura's feet, and quickly removed her shoes, pulling her feet up onto the sofa and covering them both with a giant throw which Maura thought could only have been Angela's influence.
"Do you want to talk?" Frankie asked quietly. Maura sipped her tea, and thought for a second. Then she shook her head.
"Not really." She said, fiddling with the edge of the throw. "I just didn't want to be alone." Frankie reached over and gently squeezed her hand.
"How about we watch some TV?" She nodded and smiled at him, with watery eyes. It amazed her that somehow Frankie knew exactly what she needed. He reached for the remote and found an old episode of Oprah, turned the volume down low and held his arm out to Maura. She leaned towards him, allowing herself to be held in his arms, and leaned her head against his chest. They stayed that way, in comfortable silence, until the end of the show. Frankie turned off the television, and Maura lifted her head to look at him sleepily.
"I think you could do with going to bed." Frankie said, stroking Maura's hair with a delicate touch which surprised Maura. She'd never realised Frankie could be so gentle and soothing. Frankie stood up and held out his hand to help Maura up off the sofa. He led her to his bedroom, and found her a t-shirt of his to sleep in, then showed her to the bathroom so she could change.
"There's a new toothbrush in the cupboard, help yourself." He smiled at her as he closed the door. A few minutes later, Maura emerged from the bathroom and Frankie had to bite his lip at the sight of her dressed in just his t-shirt. She was always beautiful, but wearing an oversized t-shirt and nothing else gave her an air of vulnerability that she didn't usually have, and it was like a shot in the heart for the young detective. He quickly suppressed his feelings, knowing that right now all she needed was a friend, someone to look after her. He wasn't about to ruin that by letting his feelings for her make him act like a fool. He may have told her that he thought of her as a sister, but that had been a lie. Frankie didn't feel that he was good enough for the beautiful doctor, and had pushed down his feelings, telling himself that it was the right thing to do. He swallowed hard, and held out his hand to Maura, who gratefully took it and allowed herself to be led to his bed. Frankie pulled back the sheets, and Maura climbed in.
"I'll be in the living room on the couch" he said, as she snuggled herself down into his bed. "Call me if you need anything, anything at all." Maura squeezed his hand as a thank-you and he turned to leave. He had almost reached the door, when he heard his name, so softly he thought he'd imagined it at first. He turned to look at Maura.
"Would you stay with me?" she asked quietly, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears "I don't want to be alone." Frankie's heart melted at the question, knowing how much it had taken for the usually fiercely independent doctor to ask for comfort. He nodded, not trusting his voice, held up one finger to say "one moment" and left the room to lock up and turn off the lights. When he returned, he felt unsure of what to do. Sure, she'd asked him to stay, but what exactly did she mean? Did she just want him in the room until she fell asleep? Maura silently answered his mental question by pulling back the bedsheets next to her and smiling at him. He kicked off his ridiculous slippers and climbed in next to her. Instinctively, he put his arm around her and she curled into his chest. He kissed the top of her head and felt her whisper "thank you". They fell asleep in each other's arms.