Disclaimer: I have no right to the characters.
"Never have I ever," she thought about what she was about to say and how it would impact what was left of their friendship, "fucked my best friend's brother."
Maura's eyes slowly moved up and connected with Jane's. They held each other's gaze, neither moving nor looking away.
"Well, since we both know that my only biological brother is dead, I can only assume your statement is meant to imply that at some point I indulged in a tryst with either Tommy or Frankie."
"I'm not stupid, Maur. And I'm definitely not blind or deaf. I know what I saw and heard this morning at your place. You were in such a rush to get me out of there...before I," Jane picked up her shot and quickly downed it. "I've been so stupid. And Ma must not know what's going on or she would have told me. I mean, I know why he didn't. He knows how I -"
Maura promptly stood, gathering her purse and sweater. "A lot may have changed in your life, Jane, but some things about you obviously haven't. You still jump to conclusions and make assumptions about things for which you do not have all of the evidence. For all the things about you that I admire and love, those two things alone almost—ALMOST- negate everything else." Maura turned on her heel to leave. She walked slowly but deliberately and with a purpose to the bar. She was waiting for the bartender to hand her the receipt when Jane's hand finally landed on the small of her back.
"Don't leave." Jane's words were slurred and her eyes were glassy. "I've," she looked down, dropped her hand from Maura's warmth, and leaned against the bar in one seemingly fluid move. "I've missed you, Maura. I...I don't want to miss out on anymore. I want my best friend back. I know it won't be easy, but I—I can get used to—I can get use to you being with him."
Jane studied Maura's features and her voice softened as her chin dropped to her chest. " He's my brother, Maur. I never imagined you two...that you would...that he...I thought I would come back and..." She sucked in a steadying breath and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, the tattoo once again flashing for Maura to see. "I'll learn to accept that you're with Frankie."
Maura smiled sadly at her best friend before placing her hand on Jane's bicep and letting it slowly drop to her hand, which she gently squeezed. "Thank you, Jane. It means a lot to me that you can say that, but Frankie and I—we aren't a couple. Well, not in the traditional sense."
"Wha—what are you saying? I saw you hug and kiss." Maura tugged Jane's hand and pulled her back to the booth.
They had barely landed back in the booth when the waitress appeared with two cups of steaming coffee. "I thought you guys could use these."
"Jane." Maura's voice was tender and low. "Jane, look at me, please." When Jane finally looked at the blonde, Maura decided to share her story. "You know that I've always had terrible luck with men. I just attract the wrong kind of man."
Jane gave a knowing snort. "That's a bit of an understatement, Doc."
"While you were...away...with Casey, I began dating men on a more regular basis. One of these men was, well, a regrettable mistake. Brandan McDowell. Oh, he was gorgeous, successful, wealthy, and ran in all of the right social circles. We dated seriously for only a few months before something...happened."
The dark maned detective suddenly sobered up and was completely focused on the medical examiner in front of her.
"I began to receive threatening messages. At first, it was the common I'm watching you and then photos of Brandan and I began to show up with more aggressive and threatening messages. It all became too much for Brandan, who didn't want his life examined as closely as Frost, Korsak, and Frankie deemed necessary to determine from whom the threats were coming. Needless to say, even after he ended things and ceased all contact with me, the threats continued."
"What did the background search turn up on Mister Perfect?" Jane asked sarcastically. She was beginning to understand that perhaps what she had witnessed that morning was nothing more than a ruse meant to protect Maura.
"Not much, I'm afraid. It seems as Brandan has a squeaky clean record—not even a parking violation," Maura answered.
"No one is squeaky clean. Did Frost work his sci-fi-techy-interweb magic on the computer?"
Maura sighed, "Of course he did, but there was, nothing to be found."
"So tell me what they did find. The only reason Frankie would have moved in with you to play house was if they felt there was an obvious and legitimate threat. And why didn't Ma, at the very least, tell me what was going on?"
"I asked her not to, Jane." Mara held the now cool mug of coffee between her hands. "Although we haven't talked, Jane, I was well aware of some of what you were going through. Your mother, when she didn't feel like she was betraying your confidence, would share some of the details about what was happening in your life. I didn't know everything, but I knew enough to know that you marriage was in trouble and that you needed to focus on salvaging that and not on saving me." Maura paused and looked toward the bar to avoid looking at Jane. Her voice almost to a whisper, "Besides, there was nothing you could do."
Maura cleared her throat and stiffened. "What they found was NOTHING, Jane. Absolutely nothing. At first, we were suspicious of Paddy or some other mob gangster type but none of that seemed likely upon further investigation. Frost, Korsak, and Frankie have pursued every avenue. The threats have continued, but in the last few weeks they've come more frequently and have become more violent in their nature. Frost and Korsak disagree, but Frankie and I have postulated a theory."
Jane perked up and smiled. "Maura Isles! Have you started guessing?"
In aghast horror Maura's hands flew defensively to her chest. "What? NO! A theory. I postulated a theory. That is not a guess. In fact, Jane, I think you might be surprised to hear my theory.
Jane nodded and motioned for her to continue. "Go ahead. Let's hear what Inspector Googlemouth has come up with."
Maura smiled, having missed the playful banter and endearing names Jane oft ascribed to her. "I believe I have a stalker."
"Well, duh, Maura. I think that's pretty obvious," Jane rolled her eyes having expected some elaborate theory on the part of the medical examiner.
"I wasn't done. I believe I have a female stalker," Maura put her hands up as Jane rolled her eyes in surprise again. "Hear me out. Korsak and Frost have poo-pooed my idea enough and part of me believes that Frankie is only indulging me to make your mother feel better. I believe I have made some connection with a random woman and she has convinced herself that we are involved in a relationship...a lesbian relationship. I think a man may have stepped forward and made himself known by now, but a woman, as I suspect my stalker to be, would be more passive and send notes like the ones I have received."
Jane's eyes widened at the mention of Maura being involved in a lesbian relationship. "Have you? Have you become embroiled in some torrid lesbian love affair and just forgot to mention it, Maura?"
Maura removed her hands from the cup she'd been holding and slid her hands across the table, grasping Jane's wrist and turning it over. She ran her fingertips over the colored flesh. She finally looked up and into Jane's eyes again. "I recognize this design, Jane. It's a labrys, is it not?"
Jane merely nodded in agreement.
"Does this mean-?" Maura inquired.
"Why does it have to mean anything Maura? Things changed. A lot changed. I'm here now. I'm back. I just want to forget about everything from the last two years."
Maura gave her friend's hand a gentle squeeze. "Things have changed and brought you back home, Jane. Tell me about them. I don't want to," she let her thumb graze the tattoo again, "make any incorrect assumptions. So tell me—tell me the things now that you didn't think you could tell me then."
As the waitress freshened their mugs with coffee, Jane decided to share her story.
"Casey was...is...great. What happened between us, it was all about me and not him," Jane bit her bottom lip and pulled her hands back and into her lap. She looked down at the table, not wanting to see the judgment she feared in Maura's eyes when she revealed her secret. "I fucked up, Maur. I did the one thing I never thought I would be capable of doing."
"Jane. What did you do? Did you become a democrat?" Maura asked flatly.
"I see someone developed a sense of humor while I was gone," Jane gruffed. "No, Maura, I didn't go to the dark side. I did something much, much worse."
Jane's eyes finally met Maura's. She put her hands back on the table and began to rub at the scars on her palms.
"I cheated, Maur. And he found out. He found out in the worst possible way."
