When Jane heard a knock, it took her a moment to realize it was at her door. No one had visited in weeks. It'd been months since anyone even visited without calling first.
Expecting to see Frankie or Tommy, or even her mother, she was shocked to find Gabriel Dean on the other side. He grinned when she stood there and just stared in silence. "Well, aren't you going to let me in?"
Shaking her head, she backed up as she opened the door wider. Waving him in, Jane studied him closer. He was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. His left arm was in a sling and he held himself almost stiffly. "Why are you here? I mean, why are you in Boston?"
Leaning against the back of her couch, he kept grinning. "I live here, now. My shoulder's ruined, and I can't work, so I decided to move to Boston. I was hoping we could give a relationship a real try."
Slumping against the counter, Jane gaped for a moment. "You moved to Boston. For me. Even if you can't be a field agent, couldn't you still have a desk job? You shouldn't give up your career for me."
Giving a half-shrug, he moved to join her, leaning against the counter by her side. "I could, but I don't want to. They'll probably call me from time to time to consult on cases, but I don't want to spend all my time behind a desk. Since I was disabled on the job, the Bureau gave me a compensation. That, along with my savings and any consulting work I do, will be enough for awhile. Maybe I'll be able to get a job working with a security company, or something. Right now, I want to see if we have a chance to really work out."
Letting herself lean against him, Jane sighed. "Then I guess we'll have to give it a try. Where are you living? Do you have an apartment?"
Grabbing her hand, Dean led her to the couch and pulled her down to sit. "Yes. It's nothing big or fancy. Just a small apartment. It's really not much more than a living room, kitchen, and bedroom. It's enough, for now. So, tell me how you've been."
Sighing and closing her eyes, she relaxed against him when he wrapped his good arm around her shoulders. "There's really not much to tell. I've been working."
Rolling his eyes, he pulled her closer. "Come on, I'm sure you have more to tell me than that. We haven't seen each other in more than six months. How's Maura? How are your family? What about Frost and Korsak?"
Tensing, Jane squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. "Maura and I haven't spoken since the shooting. Ma moved out of her guest house and is working two jobs to pay rent on her crappy apartment. Frankie and Tommy blame me. I don't really know how Frost and Korsak are. They seem fine, at work, but we don't really talk, anymore."
Pulling away, Dean turned to face her, giving her a sympathetic look. "I'm really sorry. Maybe if I'd killed him, things would be different. Why do your brothers blame you? If Maura kicked your mother out of her guest house, it's hardly your fault. Did they expect you to let a career hitman just walk away?"
Clenching her jaw, she shook her head. "Can we not talk about this? I don't want to talk about her. How have you been?"
He nodded, leaning back against the couch. "I've been better, but I'm ok. Spent most of the last six months in physical therapy. The bullet shattered my shoulder, and the bone shards shredded the muscle. Even with a replacement joint, I'll never have the muscle control to use that arm. My hand still works, so at least I still have that. Because of all the damage, I don't really have any control over that shoulder or elbow. There just isn't enough muscle left. Hence, the sling. As long as I have something to support my elbow, I can still do pretty much anything I want."
Grimacing, she turned to study his arm. "Jeeze, I got off lucky when I shot myself. At least I didn't hit any bone. Ok, we need a less depressing topic. Do you need to unpack, or are you able to stay? I have the weekend off."
Smiling, he leaned in, stopping with their lips an inch apart. "Good. If you don't mind, I'd like to spend that time getting reacquainted. It's been six months, and I've missed you."
Closing the distance, Jane let herself enjoy someone's company for the first time in months. When he stood and started leading her toward her bedroom, she helped him remove their clothing. Focusing on the feelings he caused, she pushed the realization of just how lonely she'd been, aside.
When Jane walked into work on Monday, Korsak and Frost were shocked to see her smiling for the first time in months. Sharing a look, they decided not to mention it, unless she brought it up, first. Noticing their looks, she rolled her eyes. "I'm in a good mood. Is that a crime?"
Looking a little frightened, Frost shook his head. "No. It's just, we haven't seen you smile in a long time. It's good."
Grinning, she started getting everything ready to work. "Since you're too afraid to ask, I'll tell you. Dean, sorry, Gabriel, came by this weekend. He decided to move to Boston to see if things will work out between us."
Smiling, Korsak watched her. "We're happy for you. If he makes you smile, then it has to be a good thing. How's he doing, anyway?"
Losing some of her smile, Jane a took a deep breath, sighing loudly. "His shoulder is ruined, and he can't really use the arm. He has to wear it in a sling to keep it from just hanging there. Other than that, he's good. He seems to be handling it well."
Frost grimaced in sympathy. "That sucks. I knew it was bad, but I didn't think it was that bad. Maybe it was fate, or something, so he could move here."
She shrugged thoughtfully. "Maybe. He did move here for me. That has to be worth something, right?"
Nodding, Korsak handed her a file. "Yeah, it means he thinks you're worth it. I'm really happy for you. You deserve something good. That's the financials on our guy. You get the honors of going over them."
Groaning quietly, Jane's glare was ruined by the grin she still wore.
The next few weeks saw Jane smiling more. She even agreed to an evening at the Robber, bringing Dean along. Korsak and Frost thanked him for making her happy while Jane used the restroom. Turning down a beer, she explained that Dean couldn't drive with only one arm and he wasn't comfortable with her driving after having any alcohol.
When she fell into the old habit of calling him 'Dean,' instead of 'Gabriel,' he gave her a small glare and squeezed her hand under the table. Apologizing, she gave him a quick kiss. It didn't happen again.
The guys enjoyed cheering the game. Jane seemed to just enjoy spending time out with everyone. After it ended, they said their goodbyes and left.
Once they were in the car, Dean turned to her and glared. Cringing, Jane reached out to grab his right hand, wincing when he held it tightly. "I'm sorry, Gabriel. I didn't mean to forget. It was just habit. Do you forgive me?"
Giving her hand another squeeze, he placed it on his thigh and patted it gently. "Yeah, you're forgiven. I just don't like it when you forget. Don't you think it's only right that you call me by my first name when we're dating? What do you think people think when they hear you call me Dean? They probably think we're coworkers or just friends. That's not fair to me, now is it?"
Squeezing his thigh, she leaned over to kiss him before letting go to start the car. "No, it's not. I'm sorry. What do you say I make it up to you, at home?"
He nodded and smiled at her. "That sounds like a good idea, Baby."
Hiding a grimace at the endearment, she smiled back.
When they were finally able to manage a family dinner, more than a month after Gabriel's arrival, he insisted on being there so he could meet Angela and Tommy. Angela was overjoyed that Jane was in a relationship, and gushed when she heard he'd been an FBI agent. Frankie and Tommy were less pleased, but kept quiet.
After everyone left, Gabriel sat on the couch and watched Jane clean up. At one point he called for a beer, which she brought to him with a smile. Finishing up, she grabbed her own beer and joined him. When she went to take a drink, he yanked it out of her hand and slammed it down on the table. "What do you think you're doing?"
Staring at him in shock, she started to reach for it, before pulling her hand back and clasping them in her lap. "I thought I was having a beer. It's been a long day, and I wanted to relax with my boyfriend."
Glaring, he stood up, grabbed her beer, and went in the kitchen to pour it down the sink. "And who was supposed to drive, if you were drinking? Do you really think I want you driving me anywhere if you're drunk?"
Following him, she flung the refrigerator open, yanked another beer out, and slammed the door. Opening it quickly, she glared while she downed half the bottle. "I'm not getting DRUNK. I wanted to have ONE beer with my boyfriend at the end of a long day. Since you're staying here, I don't see what the big deal is."
Snatching the bottle out of her hand, Gabriel threw it against the wall. "What if something happens? You're on call, tonight. What if you get a case? Did you plan on showing up to a crime scene smelling like a brewery? I thought the Boston Police Department was better than that. That shit would NEVER fly, in the Bureau."
Gaping at the shattered glass and beer spreading down the wall and across the floor, Jane let out a wordless growl and stormed off to her room. "FUCK YOU! If you're so worried about my ability to drive, then you can just call a cab and go home."
Several minutes later, there was a quiet knock on her door. "Baby? I'm sorry. I just hate to think of something happening to you. I don't want you getting in an accident, or in trouble at work, because I was thoughtless and let you drink. Forgive me? Please? It won't happen again. You just have to understand that I was just trying to look out for you. Come on, Baby, I love you. I didn't mean to upset you."
Leaning her forehead against the door, Jane sighed before opening it. "You love me?"
Nodding, he smiled and reached for her hand. "Of course. Do you think I would move here for you if I didn't? Now, you should probably clean up the mess before it dries."
Seeing her incredulous look, he looked down at his left arm and raised an eyebrow. Letting Gabriel lead her back to the kitchen, she grabbed the broom and dustpan. "How do you clean, at home? It can't be easy."
Watching her, he leaned against the counter. "I hold the dustpan with my foot, but I can't really do that with broken glass all over the floor. I really am sorry. I'd help, if I could. You know that, right?"
Throwing away the glass, she wet several paper towels, stopping to give him a kiss before starting to wipe up the beer. "I know, and it's ok. Just, no more throwing beer bottles, ok?"
Handing another handful of wet paper towels, he nodded. "I didn't mean to. I didn't even realize what I was doing. I was just upset that you weren't thinking about things. I know how hard it is to not be able to work, and I don't want that to happen to you. What if you get called to a scene and a witness complains because your breath smells like beer? You could get in serious trouble. By the time your Lieutenant heard about it, it'd be too late for a breathalyzer. All he'd have is your word against theirs. How would that make you look?"
Sighing, Jane washed her hands and let Gabriel pull her into a hug. "If it makes you feel better, I'll be more careful. I think you're overreacting, though. Anyway, I won't be drinking, tonight."
Kissing the side of her head, he led her back toward the bedroom. "Good. Now, let me show you just how sorry I am."
A/N: I took liberties with Dean's injury. I don't remember where he was hit, or if they even really showed it. Honestly, I don't care. Also, while it is possible for a shattered bone to cause extensive muscle damage to the point of needing to remove the ruined portion, I have no idea if a bullet (or what caliber it would require) could do the required damage.
