Sleepover…..Again
Jane´s car pulled up in front of Maura´s house. Maura got out and her gaze at Jane was a silent invitation. Her green-golden eyes said, Come in, Let´s process the day together. Jane smiled and also got out of her car. How could she ever say no to these eyes, this face or this woman? She was tired but there was no better way to conclude a day than sipping a beer while talking to your best friend; and what a day it had been.
She had picked up Maura more than 20 hours earlier when she got a hint where their main suspect was hiding. The rest of the day had rushed by in a blink. After they closed the case they both liked to go to The Dirty Robber and grab a meal and drink but today they were too tired.
Jane followed the honey-blonde through the corridor into the living room. She let herself sink onto the couch and put her feet on the coffee table. Maura appeared at her side with a bottle of Jane´s favorite beer and a glass of red wine for herself. She climbed on the couch next to Jane, made herself comfortable and pulled a spread over them. They talked for a while and neither of them realized that the other took longer and longer to answer till both of them were sound asleep.
After a while Jane started to shift violently...
She is back at the prison hospital. The guard holds her down while Hoyt kneels over the paralyzed Maura.
He has Maura. My Maura. No not her. Take me but let Maura alone. I cannot lose her. Hoyt sees the panic in both women´s eyes and laughs. "Janie, Janie now you can´t get away. First I´ll kill your doctor friend and then it´s your turn to die." He puts the scalpel at Maura´s throat. He smiles back at Jane. "Say your friend Goodbye."
He starts to cut. Jane is furious. She sees red. Like the blood that slowly dribbles out of Maura´s wound. She sees the panic in her friend´s eyes. Jane screams and screams...
Maura shot up from the couch. Jane was screaming her name, breathing heavily and shifting violently. Maura shook her; she wanted Jane to wake up...
She tries to get the guard of her chest but he is stronger. She struggles and sees Maura´s eyes again. Maura´s beautiful eyes are filled with fear and…
Jane´s eyes shot open and her gaze shot around like the gaze of a hunted animal. She was still dreaming. Defending herself with everything she had. Jane didn´t realize that the person she shoved was Maura. Maura stumbled and crashed into the coffee table. The second Jane saw that, she realized where she was. She jumped up and helped Maura up. "Oh Maura I´m so sorry...I didn´t want to hurt you...Hoyt..he was there..I had a nightmare and he was there again. I was back at the prison hospital. He wanted to kill us; he wanted to kill you. Maura he was alive..I´m so sorry.." Jane´s words tumbled from her lips.
Maura hugged the tall detective, "Don´t worry Jane. You didn´t hurt me. I´m ok and Hoyt is dead. You killed him on that day. He won´t come back. Never." Jane was shaken by sobs and Maura pulled her closer. She held her tight till Jane´s breaths steadied again. "What time is it anyway?" the honey-blonde gazed at the watch "2 am. Let´s go to bed. You can sleep here. C´mon lets get upstairs." "No, Maura. You don´t have to do..." " Yes I do. You are way too shaky to drive home now. So don´t fight me, Jane."
Maura guided Jane up to her bedroom and gave her pajamas. She changed in the bathroom while Jane put the lend PJ´s on and crawled on to her side of the bed. They had had sleepovers many times before and both women had their preferred side.
Maura came back, also got in bed and pulled the covers up. Then she kissed Jane´s cheek and asked the usual question "Light on or off?" "On please. Goodnight, Maur." "Goodnight, Jane."
When Jane woke up the next morning Maura was in the bathroom. She could see her standing there trough the gap between door and frame. Maura was blowdrying her hair while only wearing her towel.
Jane stared at her. Her eyes were glued. Why did she never see that curve of her hip or the slim waist? Long blonde curls. And she never recognized the beauty of this perfectly proportioned body? Maura felt the gaze of her best friend, looked above her shoulder and smiled at Jane. Suddenly Jane realized the smile and looked away. She got caught. Damn. Did Maura really see me look? Did she realize how long I was staring? I hope not but seeing her like that hypnotized me. I couldn´t take my eyes of. They were like glued to the spot. Why do I stare at my best friend like that? What is wrong with me?
She finally was brave enough to look back at Maura which had dressed herself in the meantime. To Jane´s surprise Maura seemed distracted.
Maura had gotten lost in her thoughts like Jane some minutes earlier. Why had Jane looked at her like that? Why did she enjoy this? Was that a loving gaze or what did she see in her eyes? Admiration? She had felt the look a while before she turned around. Why did it took her so long? She realized she enjoyed the feeling of being looked at or better checked out. Yes checked out was the right word for what Jane did. She actually paraded in front of her best friend. Was that normal? Why did she do that? The moment she turned around she saw this look in Jane´s eyes. The feeling she saw in them just crossed the chocolate orbs for a second but what was it again? Desire? No. Appreciation of her body? This can´t be true but if she didn´t knew it better she would say it was a mix of appreciation, desire and admiration.
Breakfast was overshadowed by the awkwardness of the earlier events. But over bagels and coffee both women rapidly forgot what happened and got back into their normal flow; talking about everything and everyone without hesitation. Luckily Jane stacked some clothes at Maura´s so that she didn´t have to wear the same stuff than the day before. At 8 am both women hurried out of the door and headed to their cars.
Half an hour later they were at the department. Jane and Maura said goodbye to each other and headed to their offices; Jane upstairs to the homicide devision and Maura downstairs to the morgue.
As the doors of the elevators closed they smiled at each other across the hall.