The Executioner

Jane sat at her desk and chewed nervously on her thumbnail. The last events had hit hard on her. Too many dark and deeply buried memories were brought back to life. " Verena Fracassini. " , she grumbled. " Sarah Matthews, Nancy McPherson, Tamara Stanton and Sally Preston. " She repeated the names over and over again. Either in her head or whispering. Jane was torn from her thoughts as someone put a cup of coffee on her desk. " Coffee. "

" No, thank you. ", Jane replied lost in thoughts.

Maura raised her eyebrows suprised. " Excuse me? "

" I'm not hungry, Maura. "

Maura had briefly to think to follow Jane. " I wish you would stop seeing coffee as food. "

Jane looked at her confused and blinked a view times. " What you said? ", she discovered the coffee and smiled. " Thanks for the coffee. Exactly what I need. "

Maura rolled her eyes and opened the case file on Jane's desk. " You need a break."

" Yeah, I know that we need a breakthrough. "

" No, you need a break, Jane. A pause, rest, recreation, lull, playtime. "

Jane slowly looked up with a frown. " Okay, who are you and what have you done with Maura Isles? "

Maura laughed lightly and hit Jane on her upper arm. " Jane, stop it. "

Jane laughed and sipped her coffee." Seriously? Lull AND playtime? You spend too much time with Ma and Tommy. "

" Whatever." , Maura replied. " You should go home and get some sleep. "

Jane looked at her intently. " Is it a medical advice? "

Maura made big eyes and closed the case fall. " Quite right, Detective. GO HOME. "

" The Doc' s right. You should go home. ", Korsak said as he sat down with a file on his desk.

Maura put her palms together as in a praying position and briefly closed her eyes, saying unvoiced' Thank you '.

Jane looked between Maura and Korsak back and forth." You have conspired against me. "

Korsak rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Frost came into the bullpen and paused when he saw Jane. " You're still here? "

" Judas! ", Jane growled deeply and looked him gloomily.

Frost looked at her puzzled. " Huh? "

Jane slowly stood up and pointed at each of them. " Your three cahoots and have conspired against me! "

Someone who wouldn't know Jane would get pale and try to find a good hideout.

Angela came with three paper bags in the bullpen and stopped." Jane, what are you doing here? "

Jane struggled to keep an straight face and looked at her mother accusing. " MA, YOU TOO? YOU'RE ALL TRAITORS! ", she grabbed her jacket and took a deep breath." Okay, I'll make a break."

Maura smiled with pride and satisfaction. " A real sleep, no work at home for you. "

Jane stood close in front of her and grinned. " Yes, Mama Maura! "

Maura looked after Jane and sighed to herself. " Not yet. "

Angela looked at her curiously. " What was that? "

Maura turned bright red and made her way to the elevators. " Oh, nothing. "

Jane came home and took a deep breath. She went to the fridge and took out the rearmost beer. To someone else she would have said at this time of day that he would have a serious problem, under normal circumstances. But she didn't live under normal circumstances. Five young women were killed in a span of two and a half weeks. Sexual tortured and then killed with a smooth cut through the throat. The inverigators assumed that the victims had previously dig its own grave. Verena Fracassini, twenty-nine. Sarah Matthews, twenty-six. Nancy McPherson, twenty-two. Tamara Stanton, twenty. And Sally Stanton, twenty-three. Apart the age of twenty and thirthy the five women nothing bond them toghether. Apart from the cut-through throat and the self-dug graves. Jane braced herself on the worktop and sighed loudly as she led each detail to her mind again. Since two and a half weeks she worked on this case and since three days she had not slept. Since two and a half weeks she was only Detective Jane Rizzoli. Dogged, unrelenting, obsessed. She could understand why Maura had arranged to conspire with Frost, Korsak and even her mother against herself. The vibrating of her phone snatched Jane out of her thoughts flow. She start to grin broadly as she read the message." It's not a good idea to think of you while I bathe. "

Maura came late in the night back home and was relieved that the house was dark. She went straight to the bedroom and smiled when she heard the slight snore. She sighed and walked carefully to the bed. Maura sat on Jane's side of the bed and brushed a strand of hair behind Jane's ear.

Jane growled softly and stirred. " Maura... "

Maura smiled soft. " Ssssh, sleep. "

Jane relaxed inevitably. " Sleep... "

Maura laughed lightly. " Yes, sleep. "

The next morning Jane woke up in a strange position. Her left arm was wrapped around the waist of a person to her right. It took a few seconds and then Jane pulled her partner even closer.

Maura stirred and smiled automatically. " Are you awake? "

Jane buried her nose in Maura's hairs and smiled. " Asks the woman who worked long. "

Maura pulled her closer to herself and forced Jane to stay in bed." We have a off day. "

Jane couldn't hold back a laughter. " Yeah, in your dream world, Maura. To my knowledge we are expected to be at the station in two hours. "

Maura turned with eyes closed to Jane and cuddled up on her. " We could call in sick today. "

Jane looked at her with a grin and pulled her head back. " Well Doctor, do you suggest to skip work? I slowly but surely get scared of you. "

Maura groweld against Jane's chest and opened an eye. " It's too early to make jokes, Jane. "

Jane laughed heartly because normally Maura was the first who was up in the morning and not her.