"Detective Rizzoli?"
Jane looked up. "Senior Criminalist Chang?"
"I've been sent to inform you that the biopsy has hit a little snag - quite literally - for the machine had caught onto a little thread and is currently being fixed by Doctor Isles. There will be a delay, or a hold-up, in terms of your required lab reports."
Jane raised an eyebrow. "At this hour? Susie, go home and get some rest. Send Doctor Isles home too. The report can wait." Jane smiled.
Susie smiled. "I don't think she intends to leave without you Jane," Susie turned to go, "I mean, Doctor Isles and Detective Rizzoli are quite the duo," Susie smiled again. "Goodnight Detective."
Jane smiled and returned to the paperwork scattered across her desk.
Jane looked up and, to the clock ticking away at her desk.
"It is rather late...and we do lack insufficient evidence…" Jane set her pencil down to rest, "I should be having my health checked," Jane shook away the mildly amusing jokes she seemed to be reusing.
With the elevator already in motion, Jane tidied a little her appearance. Maura always seems to look prim and proper however the lateness or occasion, she wouldn't want to be an embarrassment…
Maura looked up at the knock on her door.
"Jane," Maura beamed and immediately stood up.
Jane strutted right over and reached for the convenient tabletop timepiece on Maura's desk - Maura had bought them a matching set. When Jane had asked why, Maura had simply shrugged and said that it doesn't hurt to be more accurate in time-telling even if time-telling is but a human construct; or at least, the specific alignments of the hours and minutes...
Jane shook slightly her head. Maura's words are tumbling about in her head. Gloriously, but still a little too wordy at an hour like this.
"The chief herself working overtime?" Jane handed Maura the little clock and gave a little tap to the clock face, "No one's going to rag on you about the delayed biopsy Maura, let's go home," Jane smiled.
"Delayed biopsy? I've since resolved that and sent Susie up to you with the report," Maura smiled and cradled the tabletop clock in her hands. Maura reached for her coat.
"Really? Susie said…" Jane furrowed her brows. Something's afoot - my detective senses are tingling. Jane almost grinned. Lateness and corniness must go hand in hand in my mind.
"What's amusing you Jane?" Maura smiled. "Don't you want to go? Detective? I detect a rumbling stomach somewhere in this office," Maura gave a small smile.
"Is that a joke Maura?" Jane followed Maura out of her office and turned down the lights - Maura doesn't like to leave the office in pitch black darkness. She doesn't want the dead to feel, forgotten or alone. Jane smiled to herself.
"Only if it's funny," Maura smiled, "And to the robber we go - only if I'm driving us to and back home."
"Anything you say Maura, anything," Jane smiled and tucked her hands in the pockets of her pants. Sometimes...she wonders if she can just ever so casually reach out and hold onto Maura's hand. Sometimes. Most of the time, she keeps her hands in her pockets because she understands, it's beyond casual she feels and wants - and Maura, well, she's Maura's best friend.
"Only one Jane. Only one." Maura lightly warned, as she gave Jane more than a casual glance. Her eyes lingered, at the eyes looking back at her. Does Jane ever wonder? Does Jane ever think about her? Maura looked to the opening elevator doors. It's enough, to know that Jane has her gift of a clock displayed on her desk. At least it shows that she cares.
"Yes, Doctor Maura Isles," Jane strapped herself obediently to the passenger seat, "Beer has little to no benefits, and one is already one too much, but you let me have them because they help me relax and they're my favourite drink," Jane smiled and almost wanted to lean forward and kiss Maura's smile. You help me relax. You put me at much greater ease than beer can ever do to me. Jane wanted to say, but she doesn't. Contentment exists for a reason; for with risk, comes the probability of hurt and disappointment.
"If you insists on tackling suspects like linebackers, thank you for letting me worry about keeping you fit enough to do it," Maura reached over to Jane's hand and rested her hand there after a little pat; and panicked internally the following second. Jane doesn't like being touched, and especially -
"Maura?
"Yes, Jane?"
"I think I know why Susie said what she said Maura," Jane's voice sounded in the quiet of the night and car.
"What did she say Jane?" Maura had her gaze affixed to her hand. To her hand still on Jane's hand. To her hand, held in Jane's hand.
"That you wouldn't leave without me," Jane smiled and brushed her thumb across the back of Maura's hand.
Maura felt, a surge of warmth. A sense of, heightened senses and yet, a mellowed mind. Still the panic scurried about a little inside. She doesn't want to be doing something wrong and risk losing or hurting Jane...
"Is this why you're always still at the office Maura? Sometimes you come up and hand me coffee, making sure that it's warm and never cold or stale. Sometimes you just drop by while we're finishing up the paperwork of a case with little trivia for whatever species it is that Korsak has developed an interest in that week, or to share with Frost more tech tidbits. Sometimes you leave us little gifts, saying that surges of endorphins help with motivation and a better work productivity. Frost gets email alerts from you about action figure collectibles, and Korsak gets cans and cans of premium quality pet food. While I...I get this," Jane reached into her jacket pocket; and showed Maura the tabletop clock she had had on her office desk.
"I bring it home and then bring it back to work, I place it on my nightstand, and also on my desk. It's tiny and not a very good paperweight but, it's the best -"
"Jane?"
"Yes, Maura?"
"I'm holding your hand.."
"Yes, yes you are," Jane smiled and again brushed the back of Maura's hand with her thumb.
"You told me before that it hurts when the weather's cold, or when the air gets damp. So I make sure that your coffee's warm, to warm your palms, to warm your hands; and cold coffee really isn't good for you or tasty. You tell me too that, you don't like your hands being held or touched, because it hurts - the scars…"
"Maura?"
"Yes, Jane?"
"You leave a dim light on so the already passed on don't feel any less warm. You are kindness and adorable all rolled into one. You try to make jokes to make me laugh, and you put up with me no matter the time. Beer was my coping mechanism, until you," Jane brought Maura's hand to her lips; and Maura mouth hung slightly agape.
"Scars don't become all we are, you teach me that. And some scars are meant to stay on with us to remind us of how brave we are," Jane looked down to their held hands to ride out the rising droplets to her eyes.
"And you are very brave Jane," Maura waited for Jane to again meet her eyes, "You are," Maura brought Jane's hand to the faint white line at her neck.
"You are why I still feel warm Jane, you saved my life, you saved me from Hoyt," Maura was careful to say the last word as softly as she could possibly manage - Jane sometimes still flinches at its mention; Jane sometimes still howls out from her nightmares. That's why she lets Jane have one. One and nothing more than one. Jane sleeps better with one beer dulling her mind, fogging her memory; allowing for rest, for welcoming sleep.
"You saved us from Hoyt," Jane allowed the tears to flow down her face. Maura can see her cry. Maura can see her scars. Maura can hold her hands. Maura can.
"I love you Jane," Maura gently wiped away the tracts of tears, "I'm not going to leave you," Maura carefully reached back for Jane's awaiting hand.
"I love you Maura," Jane smiled, "May I be the one to hold your hand?"
"I am holding your hand," Maura gently squeezed Jane's hand in hers, "And the gift of time is only made ever more meaningful, if I can share it with you," Maura took out too the little clock she had safely kept in the pocket of her coat jacket.
"Look, they match," Jane grinned as she gently made the timepieces kiss.
A/N: Hi there, thank you, for the time =)
Isn't the meaning of life, the number 42? ;)
And if it indeed is so...this is my 42nd fanfic and...I thought I wanted to do a, 'No Instant' fix-it but...nope. That part of my life is, a lesson now. A cherished one but...I want to let her go now.
No more new ones from me, but the already in-progress fics will be finished. I promise =)
Now, just a little special note to my own special love:
Whomever you are, the one whom would...tolerate my little messes and slip-ups, amidst the I'll do my best still to be worth your patience and love...this one's for you. I know I struggle with one day you going, what? All these words are no longer special - you've uttered them via Rizzles and to the internet world.
But...a new year, is bringing about a more determined me to be a better me, for me and for you; and for the time and future, we'll be sharing. Be safe =)
Till then,
Love,
Me (C.C.)