Hi together. Yeah I know I already had an story with the same title. But I deleted it. I honestly didn't liked it myself. So I thought I start with it over again. I hope you'll like it.

T73

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Jane sat at the table and stared ahead.
It wasn't just a stare.
It was the stare that made criminals confess, extensively.

But right now it doesn't work.
Her competitor was just as good in staring as she was.
It felt like she hasn't blinked for the last twenty minutes.
She had no times for games.
She was in a hurry already.
She should have been on her way to work by now.
Jane pointed with her left index finger on something, "Do it!"
"No!"
She groaned and let her head drop on the table.
Angela laughed amused, "I have to say ... even though you two are not biologically related, I can see very many character traits of you, Jane."
Jane turned her head to her mother and blinked a few times. "I don't know whether I should be proud or offended."
Angela smiled and glanced at her three year old grandson, "What's the problem, sweetheart?"
Noel made a pouty face, "Pancakes."
Jane's head snapped up. "These are pancakes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
Jane opened her mouth again.
"Stop!" Angela stopped her daughter. "For heaven's sake, argue with a three-year- old." she walked to Noel. "Why are these no pancakes, honey?"
His lower lip trembled, "Mommy didn't made them!"
Jane rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "Mommy is still upstairs and probably makes a fashion show."
Angela gave Jane a gentle push. "Noel, can I try them?"
The little boy nodded agreeing.
She took a bite and choked.
Angela grabbed the plate and carried it to the garbage disposer, "You are right. These are no pancakes." she coughed.
Jane's eyes went wide, "Ma!"
Angela just ignored her, "What do you say when I later make my famous bunny pancakes for you? Your Mama and your uncles loved them when they were as old as you."
Noel's face lit up, "Yeah!"
Jane rolled her eyes once again.
Maura came in a form-fitting teal colored dress in the kitchen and Jane growled low.
Noel jumped up from his chair and ran to the blonde, "Mommy!"
Maura caught him in time and lifted him with a puff on her hips. "Hello, baby. You get heavier and bigger every day. Will you stop growing?"
Noel giggled, buried his face in her neck and shook his head.
Maura smiled broadly and rubbed circles on his back.
Jane had to smile, too.
Six months ago, she was still the linchpin in Noel's life.
But that changed suddenly and since then he literally leeched on to Maura.
In the beginning it hurt the Italian.
It was like a stab in her heart.
But she also knew that their son loved her as unconditionally as he loved his Mommy.
And that fact made it bearable.
Maura greeted her mother-in-law and walked to her wife.
She leaned down and kissed Jane gently.
In the same time, Noel climbed onto Jane's lap and giggled again, louder this time.
Jane started to chuckle and pulled away from Maura. She looked down at her son, "What?"
"You kiss," he said and blushed.
Jane raised her eyebrows with a smile, "So?"
He buried his face in her neck and giggled again.
"Wouldn't I know any better ..." Angela said and poured Maura a cup of coffee.
Maura smiled broadly, "I know." she said.
Noel turned serious again and scrutinized Jane, "Mama?"
Jane turned serious, too. "What's the matter, kiddo?"
He started to play with her curls, "Um ... if ... if you not work today ... can we go to the park? With Jo and Bass?"
Jane's heart arched, "I'm not sure if Mommy agrees when we take Bass with us to the park with us. But when Mommy and I don't have to work, then I'm sure that we all can go with Jo in the park for an hour," she looked at Maura. "Right, Mommy?"
Maura smiled softly, "Of course."
Noel's eyes lit up, "Really?"
Jane linked her pinky with his, "Scout's honor." she said and him an Eskimo kiss.
"I'll distract him if anything comes up," Angela said.
Maura took a deep breath, "I hope this will not be the case, Angela."
Angela only nodded agreeing.
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The day was slow, too slow for Jane's taste.
But she was also relieved because she could adhere the promise she had made their son this morning.
It wasn't like the last years were crowded of nail-biting or unusual cases. But the cases on which she work were despite all time consuming.
A bitter aftertaste of police work.
She was sure if Maura wouldn't be a part of the judicial system ... Then they would be divorced already.
They've already scraped past this edge.
Close.
Very close.
If they wouldn't have Noel ... who knows what might be today.
Jane shook the thought off and entered Maura's office and closed the door.
Maura looked surprised up from her laptop, "Jane."
Jane went straight to her and took one of Maura's hands in her own.
She pulled the smaller woman to her feet, "You know that I love you, right?"
Maura placed her hands on Jane's arms and frowned.
She wasn't uses to so much affection during work.
They had agreed to keep everything on a professional level in the precinct.
"Of course I know that," she said and searched the eyes of her wife for an explanation. "And I love you. Jane, what's going on?"
"I just want you to know it," Jane whispered and kissed her gently.
Maura kissed her back and wrapped her arms around Jane's neck.
Jane slowly pulled back and stared into Maura's eyes, "You are beautiful."
Maura had to start to laugh, "Okay, who are you and what did you do to my wife?"
Jane furrowed her eyebrows, "Can't I compliment you?"
Maura ran her hands over Jane's arms. "Yes, you can. But what's the occasion?"
"That I have you, even if I almost lost you."
"Jane ..."
"I mean it, Maura!"
Maura took a deep breath, "Each couple has a crisis."
"I could have lose you and Noel." Jane replied.
Maura ran her right thumb over the Italian's jaw, "But we've made it."
Jane smiled weakly and wanted to say something as her phone began to vibrate
Briefly after that Maura's phone started to ring.
The blonde bit her lower lip and looked guiltily at her wife.
Jane growled and took her phone from its holder, "Rizzoli."
Maura took her phone in her hand. "Dr. Isles."
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The couple came to the crime scene and ducked under the police tape.
Jane hated Southie if it came to crime scenes.
She sighed and put on the latex gloves.
"What do we have?" she asked.
Frost looked up from his tablet, "A white female. Nobody has seen anything."
Jane looked around in the area and frowned, "What a surprise. Who found her?"
"A group of young people," Korsak answered. "They say they were in the way to meet with friends."
"Sure," Jane grumbled. "Have they been checked already?"
"Frankie's on it." Frost said.
Jane exhaled through her mouth. "Okay."
Korsak exchanged a glance with the younger man. "Is ... everything okay?"
Jane glanced at him and nodded slowly, "Yeah. We just had to ... break a promise."
Frost understood immediately, "We can ask for someone else."
"No," Jane replied fast. "No, now we're here. Let's focus on the case."
Korsak shrugged his shoulders, "The kids called 911 twenty minutes ago. They found the body under this bridge."
"She had no ID on her?" she wanted to know
He shook his head, "No purse, no wallet."
"Wouldn't be surprised if someone has stolen her purse. Especially not in this area."
"Me neither."
"I let search for it in the garbage containers." Frost said.
Jane nodded and crouched down in the opposite of her wife, "What can you tell me, Maura?"
Maura looked in detail at the arm of the unknown woman. "I can tell you that Noel will hate us."
Jane sighed, "I know. I know, Maura. But ... What can you tell me about the victim?"
Maura pointed at the bare calves, "She wasn't killed here. She has pronounced scratch wounds on her calves and bruises on her wrists."
Jane looked at her with a deep frown. "So she was dragged here shortly after she was killed?"
Maura nodded but didn't looked at her wife, "Probably."
Jane pointed at the neck if the woman. "Are these strangulation marks?"
Maura looked briefly at the neck, "Yes."
"So she was strangled."
Maura glared at her.
Jane chuckled, "All right, all right. I won't force you to make a hasty diagnosis."
"Thank you," Maura whispered with a smile.
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Jane entered with two cups of coffee and two sandwiches into the morgue and stopped as Maura lifted the colon out of the body, "I think ... I'm not hungry anymore."
Maura looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Why?"
Jane cleared her throat, "I'm not really into innards."
"This is just the Intestinum crassum."
"Innards!"
Maura sighed and pulled off her gloves, "What brings you down here?"
"The cause of death?"
"Suffocation?"
"Failed sex games?"
Maura smiled a little, "Doubtful."
Jane frowned, "Because?"
Maura pointed at the dead woman's neck, "The bleeding in the skin layers doesn't suggest that Jane Doe had practiced other forms of sex such as bondage or SM, the deeper layers would be affected, too. But that's not the case."
Jane nodded slowly and furrowed her eyebrows. "So no fancy sex games."
Maura glanced long at her wife. "What is it with you and sex games?"
Jane's eyes shot up and she blushed a little, "Um ... With what was she strangled? With bare hands?"
Maura walked back to the body and pointed at the bruised throat, "No, she was strangled with a broad subject."
Jane took a closer look at the neck and drew her eyebrows together, "Are these ... prints of the holes of a belt?"
Maura raised her eyebrows, "I can't rule that out yet."
Jane exhaled through her nose, "When did she die?"
"Between four and six o'clock in the morning." Maura answered.
Jane went to a metal table and looked at the seized clothes of the unknown woman which were in evidence bags, "Given of the clothes, the time of death and the location ... We can assume that she was a hooker."
Maura opened and closed her mouth. "I ... I didn't say that."
Jane smile broadly, "You don't have to. I don't want you to break out in hives or that you faint." she said and started to walk to the double door. "Let me know if you have something new."
Maura nodded and smiled.
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Jane came back into the bullpen and looked long at Korsak, "Jane Doe was strangled." she said and looked around. "Where is Frost?"
Korsak looked over his shoulder,"He's in B.R.I.C and us running the picture of the victim through our database. Maybe we get lucky and she's known to the police."
"A good beginning," she said and stood next to him. "I don't know, but somehow she looks familiar to me."
He slowly nodded his head. "To me too. I just don't know from where I know her."
Frost came back to them, he looked a little pale.
Jane glances at him and frowned, "You look like you've seen a ghost. What's the matter, Frost?"
Frost held up a file and looked death serious, "We have a problem."
Jane and Korsak turned around to him.
"Why?" the older man asked.
"The name of the victim is Jennifer Keller."
The name said something to Jane, but she didn't know what, "Jennifer Keller. I know that name."
"You should. She was a witness in the case of Harry Brooks."
Jane's eyes got wide, "You're kidding me."
Frost shook his head.
Korsak drew his eyebrows together. "Harry Brooks, the owner of the escort service Humble ..."

Jane grunted, "N'oubliez Janais. Yeah. And his business partner is under suspicion of murder."

"Right, Craig Owens." he said. "Maura and you had a great fight about the case."
Jane sighed, "A fight is exaggerated. We only agreed that we are divided over the facts."
Frost frowned deeply.
He knew the story.
As usual the three Detectives had took over this case.
Craig Owens had called 911 after he had found his dead business partner Harry Brooks in the premises of the escort service. With a broken skull.
Owens crouched weeping over the dead body and hadn't made the impression that he had to do something with the death.
On the contrary.
But the forensics and Maura had proven the opposite.
They had put Owens in a different light.
The murder weapon was a baseball bat, which was littered with evidence against Owens.
But Jane was stubborn and she relied on her instincts and her gut, which told her that Craig Owens was innocent.
Maura was just as stubborn and she relied on cold facts, which said that Craig Owens was guilty.
The highlight of the dispute was when it came to the day in court.
Maura incriminated Owens heavily.
Jane exonerated him again.
The case was a sensitive topic for the couple.
Jane groaned and ran her left hand over her left eyebrow, "I need a good divorce lawyer."
Korsak smirked.
Frost frowned, "That bad?"
"Worse," Jane replied. "The case is a never-ending bone of contention."
"Maybe the two if you should talk about the case in the Dirty Robber," Korsak suggested.
Jane wrinkled her nose.
He was right. It was the best plan.
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The two women were sitting at the counter in the very lively Dirty Robber.
They'd already talked about the latest findings.
Jane sipped her beer.
"Come on," Maura laughed and drank from her red wine. "admit it. Admit that Craig Owens is guilty. The forensics proves it black on white."
Jane glanced long at her wife, "If you wouldn't have the forensics."
"I have no idea what you mean."
"I mean, it's easier for you to deal with cold evidence than with people. People have emotions. It's just too complicated for you."
Maura laughed briefly. It was a protective mechanism. "Ah, that I don't comment on. I just rely on watertight evidence. And I won't apologize for it."
Jane glances at Maura's lips, "The character can't be determined on the DNA. You have to listen to your instincts. And I ... don't think Craig Owens is a murderer."
Maura downed her wine and ordered a new one, "Did you told that Harry?"
"What?"
Maura glared at her. "It was only a ploy to bring me here."
Jane laughed briefly and sipped her beer, "If that's the case, then why are you here?"
Maura grinned and drank from her new wine.
Jane studied her and licked her lips, "Do you still remember New York? We were locked out on a rooftop in Manhattan. We just danced through until dawn ... Naked."
Maura laughed amused, "You know what I remember?"
"What?"
"That we previously have argued like crazy."
"I can remember that we made out like crazy. Man, that was amazing sex."
Maura frowned deeply, "Yes, and then the janitor opened the door, who is a friend of my parents."
Jane buried her face in her hands, "Yeah, and you'll never forgive me that, will you?"
"This is an unfair question. He knows me since I was eight."
Jane placed a hand on Maura's bare knee, "Okay, why don't we ... go in a hotel. Ma watches Noel. Let's rekindle old times. Let's give it a try."
Maura laughed and gathered her belongings, "I ... uh ... I should go. Are you coming home with me?"
Jane looked long at her and shook her head, "No, I'm waiting for Frost and Frankie, they wanted to come here, too."
Maura leaned in and kissed her wife gently, "I'll wait for you."
Jane smiled softly, "'Till later."
Maura stepped onto the street and searched her purse for her keys.
She smiled as a freshly in love couple passed her by.
Yes, those days she and Jane had a sexual dullness.
But a three-year old child doesn't allow a lot of intimacy.
And as Jane had touched her knee, her nerve endings were brought back to life, which were in a comatose state.
She bit her lower lip and turned on her heels.
She entered the Dirty Robber again and stopped abruptly when she saw Jane flirting with another woman.
Her heart contracted painfully.
But she couldn't blame Jane.
The Italian was never very patient.
She wiped a single tear from her cheek and left the bar again.