Jane turned back to Korsak and Frost as she passed through the security checkpoint and put her gun back in its holster.
"You know Maura's going to be squirming in that orange jumpsuit," Jane said with a laugh, imagining Maura listing out the terrible quality of the polyester blend and how harsh the orange color was with her skin tone.
The prison guard opened the final door to the visiting area with a resounding clang. As Jane turn away from Frost and Korsak, her smile instantly faded as she laid eyes on Maura.
Her jaw fell and her hand came immediately to her lips as she gasped. Maura.
Maura looked up nervously at Jane before giving a weak smile. Jane's felt her heart sink as she looked at Maura; her stomach twisted with guilt. How was she making this into a laughing matter only moments before?
Jane was by her side in a matter of moments. She strode across the dimly lit room and sat down next to Maura, taking in her appearance. She appeared so fragile. God, it was too much to process. Jane felt rage and fury shoot up through her body when Maura finally looked up and into Jane's eyes. Pushing Maura's hair behind her ear, Jane let out a hiss as she saw the large bruise forming just under her left eye.
"Maura," she choked, trying to keep it together, "Who... who did this to you?"
She breathlessly continued to examine Maura's face, running her fingers over the tender skin and the small cut right beneath her eyebrow.
"Hey!" shouted the guard who began to step forward, "Step back. No touching."
With a scowl Jane turned her head. "No touching? No touching?! Where the hell were you when this happened?" she roared, rounding on him.
"We took care of it. The girl's in isolation," he gestured with a nod of the head, explaining the cause of Maura's bruising.
Jane seethed, planting herself in the guard's personal space, "You're suppose to prevent this from happening!"
"Jane," Maura pleaded from behind her, barely a whisper. "Please."
Jane did all she could to quiet her rage and turned back to Maura. She went again to reach for her, before remembering she couldn't. Her chest tightened at the sudden, overwhelming need to hold Maura in her arms. She needed to hold on to her chin, run her hands through her hair, her arms. Her brow furrowed as she watched Maura look into her eyes. They held such pain and confusion.
"Jane," she said, chewing on her bottom lip, "I need to talk to you."
Jane attempting to control her breathing. God, how could she not be allowed to touch her? To console her? Jane was lost for a moment staring at Maura's bitten lip.
"The guard. Who stopped this," Maura whispered, referencing her bruises, "she told me that she has a message. From Doyle" Maura leaned in closer, trying to keep her voice low.
"Doyle?" said Korsak. "He's got an in with the prison guards?"
"Yes," Maura looked over her shoulder, making sure they weren't being overheard. "And she told me that he has contacts inside BPD."
"Wait, what?" asked Frost, "You're saying we've got a dirty cop?"
"She wasn't able to tell me who yet. But she said it was information that-"
"Times up," barked the guard, opening up the gate again.
"Jane," Maura pleaded, "Get me out of here."
Jane felt her heart-break. "Maura, I promise you," Jane leaned in closed, "I'm going to get you out of here as soon as possible. Just hold on," Jane again reached for her hands before forcing herself to stop, silently cursing the guard's orders.
She watched as Maura nodded, pressing her lips together to hold back the tears.
"Hey Frost, would you look at that?" Korsak loudly noted, standing up to put himself between Jane and the guard. "Those are some high def cameras, huh?"
Frost picked up on his lead, crossing over to help cover Maura from the guard's view. "Oh yeah, top of the line. You see the way the…"
Jane smiled as she realized the boys were giving her a quick moment alone with Maura. She placed her hands on Maura's face and then moved them down her to shoulders and eventually held on to her hands.
"I will catch whoever is responsible for this," she took another breath, hoping to steady her voice, "He will pay." She stared into Maura's eyes again, and she suddenly felt her stomach drop and her hands became clammy. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to sort out the feeling. She was just worried about Maura, right? That's all it is.
Maura looked down and smiled, her eyes watering. "I know, Jane." She gave Jane's hand a squeeze. "Please hurry."
And with that Korsak and Frost moved out of the way, forcing Jane to let go. She pulled away, watching Maura fingers slip away from her own. She gave Maura one last look as she turned away.
She could still feel Maura's skin against her fingertips.
A/N: Many thanks for the kind words of encouragement! If the episode doesn't end in a way that I find satisfying given the storyline they're working with, I plan to post an update. Thank you!