Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I own zilch! Except the lovely ideas that float about in my head and those I can't be 100% sure are entirely my own anyways.
Notes: The idea for this overall story arc came to me a while I was rewatching season one and the wheels started churning on what would it have been like had Jane and Maura met at BCU had Jane accepted and gone. Set in present day so none of that late 70s-80s vibe for our gals. I hope you enjoy.
Summary: When Monday finally comes around, Maura is still left wondering what Jane has up her sleeve.


A/N: I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been reading and following along. Your comments are greatly appreciated and I am overwhelmed with how this piece of mine has been received so far. I hope you stick around and continue to enjoy yourselves. Thank you.


Dress warmly. Layers preferably. Pants please. No heels. See you at 1:30.

Maura stared at the text message from Jane for a minute and still couldn't wrap her mind around it. Clearly, Jane was trying to be as elusive as possible and although this would usually agitate Maura, she felt rather calm about not knowing where the afternoon would take her. Taking Jane's short message to heart, she dressed comfortably for the tutoring session but put aside a few extra light layers on the edge of her bed that she'd changed into after the tutoring session.

The following hours seemed to stretch on forever. For the first time, Maura kept glancing at the time and anticipating the end of this session. Several times throughout it, her pupil had to repeat their question before she could answer them due to the fact that she'd been trying to come up with a list of possibilities for Jane's plans. Finally, the session was over and Maura scheduled the following one with the freshman. She promptly made her way back to her place. Earlier the previous weekend, she had realized that after their first phone call, they had never agreed on a meeting place and the day before, Maura had given Jane her address and instructed her to meet her there.

Arriving with fifteen minutes to spare, Maura walked up to her building with her head down as she fishing in her purse for her keys. After finding them, she looked up and spotted Jane with a rolled up bundle of sorts tucked under her arm waiting outside the main entrance to her building. She took a quick look around, surprised to see the other woman, before directing her gaze back to her,

"I'm not late, am I?"

Jane shook her head with a smile,

"No, I'm just early for once."

"It's good to be early. You avoid putting your body through all the stress of running around," Maura added with a small nod. She brushed pass Jane and brought the electronic key up to the sensor to unlock the main door. She proceeded to pull it open then glanced over her shoulder at Jane who hadn't moved yet,

"Aren't you going to come in?"

"Oh, I wasn't sure I was invited," Jane replied with mock hurt.

"Of course you are, Jane," Maura was quick to point out. She was oblivious to the underlying sarcasm to Jane's comment and Jane suddenly realized just how seriously Maura took everything.

"I was kidding. You need to lighten up a little," Jane walked up to Maura and locked eyes with her. She had to ignore the feeling that erupted in her abdomen as she peered into Maura's hazel eyes. She diverted her eyes and looked away before adding, "This is perfect though. What I have planned… oh, it's perfect."

She punctuated the syllables of the word and stepped into the lobby of the building.

"Care to share?" the other woman asked, the curiosity eating away at her. She followed Jane into the building then headed down the hall, flipping through her keys until she found the correct one.

"So, you live alone?" Jane asked as she lingered in the lobby, taking in every inch of the place. She looked down the hall and saw that Maura was already busy unlocking her door.

"Yes," Maura directed down the hallway to Jane before stepping into her loft. Within seconds, Jane had traveled the length of the hall and found herself staring into Maura's loft.

"Seriously?" she exclaimed as she stood with a look of disbelief plastered on her face. It wasn't a completely open spaced loft. There was a small entrance bordered off by the kitchen's wall and the closet. Once Jane managed to move from the entrance, closing the door behind her, she swept the main room slowly. To her right, was a small yet suitable living room connected to an open concept dining room and kitchen. Nothing extremely extravagant, or gigantic, it was all moderate in size. This was just not what Jane envisioned when she thought of college students and their humble abodes. The wall directly opposite to the entrance had huge windows that allowed for plenty of natural light and at the far end of the loft were two bedrooms.

"No, seriously? This is your place? You have a loft for crying out loud!"

Maura couldn't help but lightly laugh before ducking into her bedroom to alter her wardrobe a little and get Jane's approval since she still had absolutely no idea what their afternoon activities were.

"My parents try to compensate for the fact that they are rarely around with a cushy and comfortable home. I believe their exact words were 'If we can't be there, at least let us have comfort in knowing that you are in a good neighbourhood with a good home."

She stepped back out of her room and pointed to her clothes. She was wearing a pair of jeans, a light long sleeve sweater with a tank top underneath.

"Should I throw this cardigan on?"

Jane awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other as she waited near the small entrance, not daring to venture any further.

"Just to be on the safe side," she answered.

Maura pulled the cardigan on and buttoned up the first three buttons before nodding towards the bundle under Jane's arm,

"What's that?"

The tall brunette looked down to her arm and pulled the rolled up bundle out and shook it. She held it out to Maura and the other recognized that it was a leather jacket,

"Oh, I nearly forgot. This is for you. It was my first leather jacket and the first year I had it, ma put in an extra lining in it so it'll be extra warm. I think it'll fit you."

Maura gently picked up the jacket and scrutinized its worn and soft leather. Her fingers grazed the material as she looked up to Jane,

"Why do I need this?"

Jane waggled a finger at Maura and grinned,

"I'm still not saying. If you haven't figured it out yet then you will in a few minutes. C'mon, put it on and then we can head out."

Jane took the jacket and held it up as Maura slid her arms into the sleeves. It was a little big on her but she pulled it around herself and relished the worn feeling of it. She had never owned a piece of clothing that had this particular feel about it. There was something incredibly comforting about it that screamed that this article had been loved. It had been worn so many times that the elbows were far more broken in than any other part of the jacket. She opened up the jacket and inspected the lining and stitching along the edge of the zipper. She ran her fingers down the stitches and noted,

"Your mother did some excellent work lining this jacket, Jane."

"Yeah, she's pretty good with a needle and thread that one," Jane admitted with a small grin, "Ready?"

Maura zipped up the jacket and nodded. She was about to pick up her purse when Jane reached out and stopped her,

"No need for that. Just bring your keys… and a scarf if you have one nearby."

Maura looked up to her and frowned. She dropped her purse back onto the coffee table in the entrance before pulling a scarf out from the top shelf of her front closet,

"Are you really not going to tell me what you are up to?"

She busied herself with looping the scarf around her neck and pulling the end through the loop as Jane replied shortly,

"Yep."

Maura looked over to her and noticed the satisfied look on her face and couldn't stop the smile from spreading on her lips. She tucked the ends of the scarf into the front of the jacket and perked an eyebrow at Jane,

"Good?"

Jane nodded and grabbed Maura's arm gently, pulling her towards the door.

"Yes, don't worry. You look super chic. You own that jacket," Jane said teasingly and Maura just narrowed her eyes at her as she passed by Jane to step into the hallway. The tall brunette quickly followed suit and waited for Maura to lock up before heading back out towards the main lobby. As she trailed Jane, Maura searched the jacket for a secure pocket for her keys and found one just on the inside. She stowed her keys away before zipping back up and stepping outside.

"This way," Jane reached out and grabbed Maura's elbow with one hand and placed her other hand at the small of her back, directing her towards the left of the street. Jane let go of Maura's arm just as they neared a parked motorcycle and immediately Maura launched,

"Oh, Jane… I don't know if I can. Do you know that in the state of Massachusetts alone there were 50 motorcycle crash victims in 2006, 62 in 2007…"

Jane quickly cut her off as she picked up a helmet and placed it in Maura's hands,

"There's a small percentage that I could die by choking on a piece of toast tomorrow morning. Am I going to stop eating toast?"

Maura, clearly flustered, fumbled with the helmet. She looked up at the sky, and Jane wondered for a moment if this happened to be not such a great idea.

"5,154 motorcyclists lost their lives in 2007…" the other woman whispered to herself more than anything. She breathed in deeply and tried to will the statistics to stop floating to the surface.

"C'mon, Maura. You only live once, take some risk," Jane smiled warmly before walking back over to stand in front of her. Her bike was an older Suzuki standard model that she'd eagerly saved up for well before she was even of age to get a motorcycling license but she took good care of it and it granted her a sense of freedom which was unmet by anything she'd experienced in life so far. Whenever she felt overwhelmed, she'd ride around aimlessly. Whenever she was on the road, it was just her and the bike and she liked knowing that this was one thing in her life that she could control and she was damned good at it too. She pulled out a pair of leather gloves and handed them to Maura,

"They'll keep your hands warm," she said trying to distract Maura before pulling out her own pair from her back pocket. She carefully pulled them on and raised a curious brow looking up to Maura,

"Talk to me."

Maura tried to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat before speaking just above a whisper,

"I'm just giving myself a mental pep talk. Talk me through it."

Jane propped her helmet on her hip and began explaining everything about the bike itself and what Maura needed to know as a passenger. She instructed her on the safety etiquette, how to mount the bike, how she needed to keep her feet on the pegs at all times, how she would need to hold onto her, how she shouldn't try to go against the curve when turning. Maura seemed to relax a little as Jane continued to explain.

"If you want me to pull over, just tap my shoulder, all right?"

"All right," Maura replied with a curt nod.

Jane mounted the bike, and pushed the kickstand up with her heel. She proceeded to start it up and braced it with both feet planted firmly on either side as she waited. Jane looked over to Maura to see if she could read her expression but couldn't. The woman's face wasn't betraying whatever internal dilemma she was still battling with. Jane pulled on her own helmet before asking,

"Do you trust me?"

"Strangely enough, I do," came Maura's quick reply and by the look on her face, Jane immediately knew that this surprised Maura even more than it surprised her.

"All right, hop on. Stay on the sidewalk, it'll give you an advantage and don't be afraid to use my shoulders as leverage."

Jane allowed the bike to rest mostly on her right leg as she angled it down a little to allow for an easier mount for Maura. Maura slid her helmet on and assured it was on correctly before doing exactly as Jane had instructed her to do and settled herself behind Jane on the saddle. Behind her, Jane felt Maura inch herself slightly closer and was extremely grateful for the privacy of her helmet at that very moment. She reached back and gave Maura's knee a reassuring squeeze,

"Hold on," Jane instructed and Maura obliged, reaching around Jane's waist and wrapping her arms around her.

The fact that she was actually sitting on a bike was absolutely absurd to Maura. She couldn't believe that she had willingly gotten onto it. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the moment they would start moving. The knot in her throat was still there and she was trying her hardest to stop thinking. However, with Maura, thinking was everything and to stop doing such a thing was inconceivable. She involuntarily tightened her arms around Jane's waist as they took off.

After a few minutes, Maura felt herself relax and her muscles thanked her. She loosened her hold on Jane which reassured the other woman. This wasn't her first time with a passenger and she was thankful for that because she remembered the process of getting accustomed to having to drive differently with a passenger. She wouldn't want to put Maura through that and would have never orchestrated this little outing if that were the case. No, she wanted and hoped that this would strengthen their bond and instill a speck of trust in Maura when it came to Jane. She wanted Maura to trust her. Jane had sensed from the first time they actually had a full conversation at the coffee shop that trusting was not something that came naturally to the other woman and she wanted to try to help her along with that.

When they came to a red stop light, Jane glanced over her shoulder after tapping Maura's knee and she gave Jane a thumbs up which comforted her. Jane had been nervous that this would be a catastrophe and had really hoped that Maura's doubts would be appeased and ultimately, she would grow confident that Jane was looking out for her. It was something to drive a motorcycle but it's an entire different scenario when someone takes on a passenger. When Jane rode about on her own, she was only responsible for her wellbeing but with Maura nestled closely against her back, she was also responsible for her wellbeing and safety. She didn't want to let her down or cause her any harm. The jacket, helmet and gloves were all small tokens of how she was looking out for Maura and a way of showing her that this was no joke. She hoped that didn't go unnoticed.

When the light turned green, she picked back up and Maura's arms tightened around her again but soon relaxed as they continued down the road. Jane had a specific route in mind, especially at this time of the year when all the trees were changing colour. She was heading up to Fresh Pond Parkway and was going to circle the pond and its greenery before heading to Daheny Park where they could stroll about and people watch. Every now and then, Jane would give Maura's knee or thigh a squeeze or pat as reassurance. For someone who had been so hesitant at the very idea of getting on a bike, Maura was doing excellent. After looping the pond twice, Jane headed up to the park and pulled into the parking lot. Here, at least she didn't need to be a resident of Cambridge to park.

After successfully disembarking the bike without any injuries, Jane pulled her helmet off and grinned at Maura,

"Not bad, right?"

The other woman pulled her helmet off as well before smiling up at Jane,

"That was quite extraordinary actually," she admitted.

Jane felt herself swell with pride because she may be confident in her abilities to drive her bike but it was always convincing others of it and to have them actually enjoy themselves instead of wondering whether the person they've just trusted with their lives by hopping on the back of their bike is a maniac on the road. And taking into consideration that they did not know each other that well yet, Maura's words were a boost to her ego. Not that Jane needed such a thing. She was overly cocky at times and often made rash decisions without properly thinking through the repercussions. However, if there was one thing that Jane valued more than her own safety, it had to be that of others.

Toting their helmets at their side, the two set off down the nearest path at a slow pace. It was nice to walk about with no particular destination and to just enjoy the scenery and each other's company. For the first ten minutes or so, both were quiet and lost within their own thoughts. Maura was still silently acknowledging that she had not become a statistic in terms of motorcycle accidents. As for Jane, she suddenly felt a chill with the realization that she missed Maura's arms wrapped around her and the warmth of her body snug against her back. She squelched that thought and broke the silence,

"So…" she stretched out the 'o' before continuing, "you mentioned earlier that your parents are away a lot. What keeps them away?"

Maura's attention had been elsewhere, somewhere to her right, when Jane posed the question and she slowly turned her gaze back to her left and settled on Jane. It was one thing for Maura to listen, listening was easy and she often remembered little details that many would forget. Talking on the other hand, especially about herself, was completely different. She was uncouth enough as it was with her social inaptitude, her random facts and intimidating intelligence that Maura often avoided divulging any personal information. She feared that if she were to do such a thing, the receiver of such information would view her as vapid. Maura scrutinized Jane's features, searching for a sign that she wouldn't run if she opened up. She decided to risk it, what harm could come of it really? She'd already ridden a motorcycle today, opening up should be the least of her worries at this point.

"To start with, I was adopted. I don't know who my biological parents are and I try not to give it much thought. One can get overwhelmed with all the questions and insecurities that can arise from dwelling too long on such a thing," she paused, gathering her thoughts and taking a moment to decide what to say next, "My parents traveled a lot, and still do and because of that, I went to boarding school as a child and I would only see them on special occasions. Sometimes I wouldn't but I never held it against them."

She tore her eyes away from Jane and studied the foliage around them as they continue to walk. Every once in a while, other park goers would pass by them, jogging, running, speed walking. Maura was sure that they weren't allowing the lovely hues of oranges, yellows and reds or the crisp smell of autumn to titillate their senses.

"And here I am always complaining about my parents," Jane puffed out. She kicked a rock up the path they were on, averting her gaze and casting it downwards.

"Don't get me wrong. I love my parents. My childhood could have been must worse. I had a great education, I had the opportunity to travel, I made lifelong acquaintances, and never wanted for anything," Maura pressed on. The truth was that she didn't know any different. This was how it had always been and she considered herself blessed for the life she was given because it could have been quite the opposite.

"Except for some basic human contact," Jane mumbled under her breath and instantly regretted it. Her eyes grew wide and she found herself immediately apologizing, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just…" she groaned and inhaled sharply before breathing out heavily, "I don't think before talking. Ma says it's one of my most annoying traits."

Maura looked over to Jane, remaining silent and weighing her words. She shifted the helmet to her right hand and allowed it to hang at her side. With her now free hand, she reached out and touched Jane's arm lightly,

"Don't berate yourself, Jane. I find it rather endearing."

"Seriously? It has gotten me in a lot of shit in the past," she laughed, feeling better about herself.

Maura nodded before explaining,

"I understand what you mean though. I see how other individuals' familial interactions differ vastly in comparison to mine and sometimes I am stricken with jealousy. For brief moments, I yearn to know what it is like to have a mother who worries if I arrive home late, or what it would have been like to have an overbearing father who questioned every boy I brought home. I never had that and most days I'm at peace with that… but when someone or some kind of interaction reminds me of what I missed out on then I become painfully aware of everything."

Jane was amazed at Maura's candidness and unsure of how to even begin formulating a decent reply. She wasn't one to tread lightly, ever. She usually always said what she thought and quite honestly didn't care about the repercussions. With Maura, however, she felt this unprecedented need to protect her. She'd only ever felt this protective of her family members and she couldn't quite make sense of it.

"Heck, my mother will probably start worrying about you if she ever finds out what I put you up to today," she joked. When in doubt, Jane always found herself turning to humour. She enjoyed seeing people smile and knowing that she was the source of that smile was worth risking making a fool out of herself or saying something stupid. And Maura's laugh was like music to Jane's ears and the smile that spread across her lips was unstoppable.

"Your mother is quite the character but I could tell within seconds at the softball game that she thinks the world of you," Maura confessed.

"Oh, I know. She just can be overbearing sometimes but I never forget that she's one of the few people who puts up with all of my crap."

They locked eyes and once again, Jane felt that familiar tug in her gut as she stared into those hazel eyes. She mentally swore and recognized that she could easily find herself lost in those eyes. She had to be careful. She was crossing into dangerous territory. But once again, she snuffed the thoughts and feeling out. An easy silence settled between them as they continued to walk down the path. Neither certain of exactly how long they'd been walking and how far they'd gone into the park. Eventually, they turned around and began to trek back towards the parking lot. The second go about on the motorcycle was a lot less stressful than the first round. Maura found herself paying more attention to the houses and streets they rode by rather than reciting facts in her mind to calm herself down. Facts she could rely on. They were facts. They were proven to be true. They were something that always brought her comfort. On the way back, however, not one single fact floated about in her mind and instead, she concentrated and relished the warmth that was Jane as she kept her arms wrapped around her. She was grateful for the other woman's forethought in generously lending her the jacket and gloves. Since the sun had begun to set, the air had a particular nip to it and as they whizzed down the street, the garments offered a shield against it. As before, Jane would occasionally take the opportunity at a stop or a street light to softly squeeze Maura's knee. At first, Maura had found it an odd thing to do but soon came to realize that this was Jane's way of communicating while on the road. It was her way of assuring Maura that she was still driving for the both of them and Maura also took it as a small token of Jane's approval of her being a good passenger.

The only thing that occupied Jane's thoughts on the ride back to Maura's place was that this had been indeed a perfect idea , one of the best she had ever thought up as a matter of fact, and that once again, Maura's arms were wrapped around her. Okay, maybe two things occupying her thoughts.