Author's Notes; Quickguide to ships included, but not limited to: endgame McSwarek (where have I heard that before...), Luke/Andy, Marlo/Sam, PECKSTEIN, Jerry/Tracy, Gail/everyone, and I apologize but Rizzles is not slated for this story. I've got something else up my sleeve this go-round.

Again, expect 1st draft ugly quality because this is NaNoWriMo and I did not plan anything resembling a plot. There will be spelling errors. There will be grammar that makes no sense. (Betas feel free to contact me!) The characters will rarely be in character. You will experience my headcanon. CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED, dear reader.

1
#neversleep

The bus pulls up and lurches to a stop in front of her. She can smell the bitter burn of exhaust coming from the tailpipe. Maura looks up from her clean white sandals when the doors open. She looks back at her house. It's early and only her mother is up, drinking tea in the breakfast nook. Maura can see her figure sitting through the linen window curtain. She does not look up from the newspaper. Maura looks back at the bus, takes a deep cleansing breath, and gets on board.

It's like every other weekday.

The bus is noisy. Maura lets the loud settle over her ears like mufflers. It's how she keeps the panic from rising in her throat when she is in crowds.

Jane's sharp eyes look over the rows. She nudges Barry hard with her knee. Hisses, "That's gotta be her. Frankie, grab her!" She kicks the back of the seat in front of her. "I heard ya the first time," Frankie grumbles, raises his hand in a wave. "Hey Maura! Come sit with us." The girl looks like she's in a trance, not seeing anything or anyone as she walks down the aisle. "Frankie!" Jane whispers loudly and he reaches for Maura's hand with his own.

The contact gets her attention, snaps her out of her headspace. "Oh! Hello Frankie," she says, like it's a surprise to see him there. Like they don't go to school together. Like he didn't help her find the principal's office when she looked so lost on the front steps, book bag in hand and feeling entirely out of place without a uniform because she wasn't the same.

Jane gets right to business, no prelude or intros. She looks at Maura like she's never seen her before, or at least like she doesn't remember. Her eyes rove over to the two boys. "Listen to me. It's us four against their ten. What is the first rule of teenagers sleeping over in the same house?" It's obvious she's rehearsed this with the boys. "Never sleep," they reply in unison.

Maura doesn't quite know what to do with the direct eye contact that Jane gives her then.

"Say it," Jane says.

"Never sleep," she echoes, meek. Maura smoothes down the front of her blouse and the bus starts to move, lurching away from the curb.

Jane nods. "It's always going to be boys against girls. But I want us to stick together. We trump that. Got it? We warn each other and we tell each other, no matter what."

"I won't cross you, Jane," Frankie pipes up, leaning over the seatback.

"You better not." She gives him a sternly affectionate look and lightly flicks the side of his head. "Now that we're all here, we can shake on it." She puts her hand in front of her mouth, spits into the palm and holds it out. The boys follow suit. Maura stares at them and their spit-shiny hands like they've lost their minds. "I don't think the three of you understand the amount of germs-"

Jane interrupts, "Hey. I know you don't know me, but-"

"We've met. At school," Maura says quietly, not meaning to interrupt, but she does not like feeling bulldozed by this girl. She is tired of it. Has enough of it at home as it is.

Jane almost looks taken aback. She purses her lips together and contemplates. Makes a silent decision, shakes hands with Barry and Frankie, wipes her palm off on the front of her jeans and offers it to Maura.

Maura only hesitates for a split second.