A/N: Wow. I really hope you guys like this chapter. I'm nervous after the build up but have to admit, I've had this one written for a while…long before some of the 'middle' story. Again…with the 'I've got an idea and fill in the blanks as they come.' Please let me know your thoughts! Only takes a second. Love to all of you and thanks so much for the support!
Sorry it's so long. I'm afraid it could stand some more editing so I may post some corrections. Thanks guys, you really are the best and keep me going!
Stopping in the threshold to Maura's bedroom, Jane tried to still her pounding heart, biting her lip before removing her gun from her pants with a metallic 'snick' and placing it on the hall table. The ride over had been uneventful save for her constant internal dialogue of trying to figure out the best way to break the news that she was, in fact, alive. All lights in the house were off, fitting the late hour of her visit so she had punched in the security code to get in, not wanting to ring the bell. Surprise, Maur. I'm actually not dead. And here she was; nervously trying to figure out what to say.
Frowning at the soggy black dress left in an untidy heap in the doorway, she recalled the heels haphazardly cluttering the kitchen floor. God, it's worse than I thought if she's treating her clothes like this. She stooped and picked the garment up, laying it carefully across the corner chair before closing the plantation shutters on the windows, cutting off any outside view into the bedroom. Crossing the now completely dark room by memory, she sat gingerly on the edge of the mattress and switched the bedside lamp on the lowest setting, hopeful not to startle the sleeping doctor.
Maura lay on her back, her face turned toward Jane, brows creased, the lapels of a familiar suit jacket open on either side exposing a pink lace bra and panties as well as a far too prominent hip bone and ribs. The detective frowned in the low light, taking in the dark circles under long lashes and the obvious weight loss, not to mention the fact that silk pajamas had been replaced by one of her off the wrack blazers. Closing her eyes, she clenched her jaw with a renewed fury and vowed silently to make anyone and everyone connected pay dearly for the fiasco that had become her life. Or should it be her 'death' she mused.
Unable to put off the inevitable any longer, she had to resist the urge to touch Maura, afraid it might be a little too much too soon. The whispered name seemed loud in the quiet of the room but she repeated it anyway. "Maura. Come on sweetie. I need you to wake up." Blood shot hazel green eyes blinked tiredly open under furrowed brows and seemed to stare straight through her. "Hypnopompic hallucination," said in a weary voice hoarse from crying. "Occurs when one is waking up… most likely caused by sleep deprivation." Maura's shaky hand covered her eyes as tears began to stream quietly down the sides of her face and into her hair. The sight of her friend so broken shocked Jane into action. Reaching out, she gently curled her long fingers around a slender wrist and tugged lightly. "It's me, Maur. I'm here. It's okay. Come on. Look at me, sweetie."
With a gasp, wide eyes locked on deep brown before the doctor bolted upright and threw her arms around the injured detective's neck, burying her face in the crook and sobbing uncontrollably, small hands clawing relentlessly for purchase. Biting back against the pain, Jane looped her arm around and pulled her shivering friend closer, whispering whatever came to mind, rubbing her left hand up and down in soothing circles. When the sobs subsided, Maura greedily breathed in that beloved scent before she leaned back and found dark brown eyes again, brows knitted together in obvious confusion, eyes glassy and blinking.
Running trembling fingers across sculpted features, the scientist needed her tangible proof in the form of tactile delivery. Cool wrists came to rest against Jane's warm skin in the curve of her neck while fingers laced together at the nape, tickling the short hair there. Staring into those intense dark eyes, Maura struggled to reconcile the events of the past six days with the woman literally at hand. Shaking her head slightly, her voice was raw and coarse. "Jane, I…You are here…how…I don't understand." Lightly kneading the skin under her fingertips, "I…How? I…I buried you today, Jane." Silence hung between them as her heart rate climbed. So far past the point of being able to school her emotions and control her behavior, the doctor's voice rose in volume and her hands dropped and balled into fists. "I buried YOU today! Do you have any i…do YOU…do you have any IDEA what that…"
Jane saw the flash of anger a second before a flat palm jabbed hard against her right side effectively stealing her ability to breathe and see anything other than bright white light behind her clenched lids. Pain pulsed and burned along every nerve as she scrambled backwards in self defense. Cradling her arm in close across her stomach for stability, her left reached blindly trying to deflect any other blows. Fueled by exhausted anger, Maura continued to swat at her retreating friend as she scampered clumsily away, tears rolling down her face again and clouding her vision. "Jane, I thought you were dead…DEAD! Do you know…I? Why? I… just don't…you were…you are dead." Ending on a whisper, the doctor's frenzied hands ceased to flail as all fight and energy left her body, shoulders slumped in defeat. She was talking to ghosts again.
Her head snapped up at the dull thud followed by a raspy whoosh of a familiar curse then absolute silence. Disoriented from the day's events and the evening's wine and still not quite sure whether or not she was hallucinating, Maura hesitantly reached over and switched on the bedside lamp to its brightest setting, squinting against the sudden burning light that filled the room. Looking over the edge of the mattress at the fallen detective, she gasped at the bruising and scratches along her right temple and cheek and the crease of pain evident on her still face. Oh my god she's…she's real and…she's not breathing! Shit!
"Oh my God! Jane!" Launching herself off the bed and onto her knees next to her fallen friend, she was panicked. "Jane! Jane, come on!" Her hands were constant motion, sweeping and hovering just above without touching, afraid of causing more pain; irrationally petrified that the detective would disappear at the first contact. Unable to resist her absolute need any longer, she carefully laced her fingers with the hand that was held in a close vice grip against Jane's stomach. The warmth of their connection ignited something she thought was gone forever. "I'm so sorry, Jane. God." Well trained eyes drank in every detail from head to toe, unleashing her questions on one breath. "What the hell happened to you…where… god, you're hurt…what can I do…where have you been? What the hell is going on?"
Swallowing hard, Maura willed herself to stop and take a breath, studying the sheen of sweat on the detective's crinkled brow and the unusually pale, greenish pallor on her face. "Jane. You have to breathe." She waited patiently, stroking her free hand through raven hair, breathing in the fragrance and absentmindedly noting that it wasn't her usual brand of shampoo but too caught up in relishing the silky feel as it glided through her fingers. Nothing changed in her friend's countenance, smooth and cold. Don't breathe. Breathing hurts. Actually, not breathing hurts too…SHIT! I'm going to throw up…DO. NOT. THROW. UP. RIZZOLI. Not cool.
Worry growing by the second and feeling uneasy, Maura leaned over and placed a gentle kiss to her friend's clammy forehead, speaking low against the damp skin. "Jane. Please. I just need…" Pride choked the remainder of that sentence in her throat until she realized that pride could be damned on this day. Her voice was quieter and more vulnerable, tears stinging her eyes again. "I just need to hear your voice…please. It's been so long." She continued to stroke her left hand rhythmically through dark curls, occasionally scratching her friend's scalp in a hypnotic, soothing fashion.
The slight squeeze of their fingers let the doctor know that her words had gotten through. As Jane lay there battling back against the urge to either pass out or loose the contents of her stomach all over the outrageously expensive rug that she was currently calling a mattress, she could hear the desperation in Maura's plea and steadied her resolve to fight back and win. Cracking one dark eye open, she found the doctor's scared face and tried her best to manipulate her facial muscles into a smile but managed more of a lopsided grimace. Wetting her dry lips, she chose to answer the doctor's questions in order but decided that in her current condition, the fewer words she had to speak, the better. Locking both eyes onto frantic hazel green, she licked her lips again, breaths coming in short pants. "Blown up…lotsa ribs…broken…" She gestured gingerly with a wave of her right hand up and down her side before continuing. "Numbers… you'd know…hurts like…hell…sedated…safe house." Closing her eyes for a second and breathing as deeply as possible, she reached for Maura. "Help me up and I'll tell you…what I know."
The confirmation that Jane had indeed been the victim of a planned explosion and the sporadic bits of information that had just been relayed left the doctor momentarily stunned, her genius brain unable to fill in the gaps in a reasonable fashion. The squeeze of long warm fingers across her bare thigh brought her back to the task at hand as she found dark eyes studying her face. Flashing a pained smile, she leaned forward and carefully snaked her left arm under strong shoulders, the right planted firmly on the floor next to the detective's hip. Slowly, they lifted into a seated position, carefully shifting around until Jane was leaning against the bed for support. Acutely aware of her friend's facial expressions, Maura knew that she was in a considerable amount of pain. Reaching over, she pulled the detective's hand into her lap and laced their fingers, pressing her body closer; thigh to thigh, shoulder to shoulder, waiting patiently; content to wait as long as Jane was next to her. "I'm sorry that I hit you, Jane."
Chuffing out a small laugh, tired dark eyes found hazel green and she mustered a genuine smile. "Me too, Maur. You pack quite a punch." Smiling softly to place her friend at ease, she squeezed their joined hands and began the task of relaying the sequence of events that led up to her so called death as she understood them. Naturally, she started with that Friday afternoon. Swallowing hard, she knew this would be difficult for her friend once all the facts were laid out but needed for her to understand everything. Her eyes darted nervously to the side to find patient hazel again. "Jane. Just tell me. I…need to know." Nodding her assurance, "Okay. Yeah." If her left hand hadn't been otherwise engaged, she would've been tempted to rub the scars on her right. "Apparently…okay, so Korsak got a tip Friday afternoon from a…source that there was a bomb set to go off in my apartment…" Cringing, she looked over to gauge Maura's reaction before continuing. "He tried to call…but I had my hands full with my bag and the take-out so I didn't answer." Although she was doing her best not to interrupt or ask questions, this piece of trivial information prompted the doctor's curiosity. "But we always order pizza…why would you have take-out?"
Thinking back to that day and her desire to please Maura, Jane looked down a little embarrassed, color pinking in her pale cheeks. "Oh. Um, I had picked up Dimitriou's. You know, thinking you might like a change. Anyway, not important." She didn't miss the small smile that bloomed on the doctor's face before she looked away and continued. "I don't remember much afterward. From what I've been told, there was a shaped charge set to go off when the door was opened so it wouldn't take down the building, just, you know, the lucky person in the doorway, me. Only Jo ran out before I could get it all the way opened so I dropped everything and grabbed for her. The door caught me on my right side but absorbed most of the blast. After that, everything's screwed up in my head…like I remember confetti and I know that's not right. I just found out tonight that I've been pretty much out of it and under sedation for the last, um, five or six days." Expecting a multitude of questions, Jane was surprised by the lack thereof.
Chancing a glance to her left, she found Maura watching her with silent tears trailing down her cheeks. Her own personal Achilles heel, her heart melted as she disentangled her left hand and clumsily reached to catch the falling drops. "No, Maur. Sweetie, no. Come on. Please, don't cry. It's okay. God, I'm… I'm so sorry you've had to go through these last few days…I swear if they didn't have me knocked out, I never would've let this happen." Off the look of shock that accompanied her last few words, Jane winced again and threw her arm around her friend, pulling her closer until her head lay on the detective's shoulder. "Shhhh. It's okay. I'm okay now. We're okay." Her left hand smoothing up and down the doctor's arm in a warming motion, she dropped a kiss onto sleep tousled golden brown curls. After a moment, she felt Maura's hand snake across her abdomen gently lacing their fingers and lightly squeezing her signal to continue. "Tell me." Exhaling a breath, she did just that. "Okay. So Korak gets to the scene first and… his, um source was there…and they decided that it was best…for everyone involved to keep the fact that I'm alive a secret until they could track down the person behind the hit."
The contentment Maura felt at being in Jane's arms again was quickly shattered as her friend's last few words registered in her quick mind. Carefully extracting herself, she launched into a standing position, anger and disbelief in a competition for center stage. Dropping her head, she began to pace and chew on her lower lip oblivious to the fact that she was still in her underwear and Jane's blazer. After several passes back and fourth, her anger continued to grow out of her reach. Coming to a stop in front of the seated detective, she pointed a trembling finger, a move that manners and her upbringing told her was inexcusable, her voice approaching shrill. "Korsak KNEW? He KNEW you were ALIVE? How could he…" Pacing anew, she shook her head, speaking mainly to herself, her hands joining the conversation as well; something she had picked up from her friend. "How could he know and not tell ME…I'm your…and put me through this? He knew how badly I…" Trailing off, she bit her lip and dropped her head trying desperately to regain her composure. "I'm…I'm sorry, it's just…I'm being selfish. It…has been extremely difficult." A gasp escaped and eyes grew wide. "Jane. Your parents… Do they know?"
Jane hoisted herself to her feet with much effort, joining her friend in the middle of the room. Her right arm still firmly pressed against her stomach, she opened her left wide enough to convey her meaning. "C'mere." Hazel green widened followed by a small head shake as arms encased in too long sleeves crossed in answer. "No. Jane, I'll hurt you." Maura almost laughed at the patented Rizzoli smirk, something she had missed without even realizing it. "Maura…" A slight smile accompanied by waggling eyebrows and she couldn't resist. Chewing her bottom lip, she slowly stepped into that warm embrace, arms encircling the detective's waist loosely, afraid to touch too much. Her eyes closed automatically when she felt a strong, protective arm drape across her shoulders and pull her closer. Overcome by her exhaustion, she was content to stay that way for the immediate future, Jane's soft voice filling the silence. "My parents don't know yet. I told Korsak that he needed to fix that soon. I just…I don't know. I came here. I needed to see you." The quiet settled between them as those words floated down and seeped into marrow.
After a few minutes of breathing in their warm embrace, Jane spoke, her voice low and serious, chin resting atop her friend's head. "I was angry at Korsak too and still am for what this has put you…put everyone through but…" She could feel the limp doctor rally and stiffen against her so she pressed on, her voice thick with emotion. "But when he told me the circumstances, I…to keep you safe, you know I would do anything and he… as much as I hate that you've been hurt…he may have done the right thing."
Her nose buried in the crook of Jane's neck, breathing in the scent that she had been denied the last six days, Maura fought the urge to remain there silently, content to let herself be lulled into sleep by the surrounding warmth. She didn't quite understand how her safety played into things but she knew that Jane had more to say; she could tell by her rigid posture and her tone that the next part of the story would add more complications to the doctor's cut and dried reasoning of why she should've been informed of the circumstances relating to her…her best friend's 'death.' Whatever detail Jane was omitting was significant. Mentally preparing, her hands fell to the detective's waist as she took a step back, her brow furrowing at the thickness she felt under the thin zip up jacket.
Skilled fingers immediately made their way under fabric to discover the thick ACE bandage. Before Jane could speak, anger had flushed the doctor's face, her hand reaching for the zipper on the gray hoodie, yanking it down without hesitation. Slow to respond, the detective's brain finally caught up. "Hey! What the hell, Maura?" Looking down at her bound torso and the furious intent on her friend's countenance, she quieted; watching as Maura stepped closer into her space again, unraveling the bandages around her ribs, reaching both arms around Jane's waist, her hair tickling the detective's chin. Shivering at the contact of warm fingertips on her bare skin, she swallowed hard and found her voice, a hoarse whisper. "Maura?"
Completely focused on the injuries before her, Maura dropped the dressings to the floor, concentrating on the dark splotches of streaked red, blue and black before her, fighting back nausea at the sight. Her keen eye quickly assessed the worst of the damage as her fingers left ghostly trails of goose bumps in their wake, roaming tenderly across each rib. "Deep tissue bruising on four and five on the right side; six, seven, and eight show significant fracturing. Extremely painful." Jane rolled her eyes and bit back the urge to say 'no shit.' Instead she chuckled a little at the predictable Google behavior. "So have you wanted to tear my clothes off for a while now Dr. Isles?"
Busy mining her knowledge for possible complications, it took a moment for those words to sink in. "What? Yes. NO. Wait. What?" Blinking at amused dark brown, hazel green grew serious. Placing both palms below the detective's bra, fingers splayed lightly around her rib cage, the doctor was all business and easily misinterpreted the definite quiver of skin beneath her hands. Closing her eyes for a second to tamp down her own fears, she found her ground locking eyes with her friend again. "Jane, I need for you to take as deep a breath as you can manage." Seeing the protest roll in across the detective's features, she cut it off with her ace in the hole. "Please. For me."
Rolling her eyes, she sucked in hard. Jane tried, she really did. It wasn't much. The pain that accompanied the exercise left her gasping and her heart rate soaring. She could feel Maura's cool hand against her cheek trying to soothe her as she desperately chased after elusive oxygen. "That's it. You are okay. Slow breaths, Jane. That's it." Her squinty eyes found those of her attentive friend and she waited for an explanation but could already see the anger darkening a lightly freckled face. "I was checking for chest flail…uneven rising and falling during inhalation which is common in multiple breaks. Whoever has been in charge of your care is utterly incompetent. Fractured ribs should never be bound completely. Doing so causes constriction and inhibits the ability to fill the lungs to capacity which can lead to a build up of moisture and fluid and obviously pneumonia." Oh, yes. Obviously.
Smiling apologetically, "I need to put a splint on your injured side though. That should help with the pain. Come with me." Their hands linked, Jane had no choice but to follow the doctor into her spacious bathroom and allow her body to be leaned against the cool counter while Maura pulled out tape and scissors. "Really? You keep medical tape and scissors in your bathroom? How very…prepared of you, Dr. Isles. You are like a boy scout…or is it girl scout? Which one has that in the motto?" The doctor pinned her with a purposeful stare as she organized her supplies. "Jane this is really important. Have you coughed up any blood? Experienced an elevated heart rate or an increased difficulty in breathing?" The detective had no answers about her treatment because she couldn't remember anything much from the last few days. "I…I'm not sure about any of those things…I know my heart rate has increased a few time tonight but I can't be certain about the rest."
Ever the practical one, Maura chose to absorb her friend's comment, tearing off lengths of tape and lining them up in a row dangling from the edge of the granite like flags on a windless day. Frowning at the arm Jane was cradling gingerly to her side and stomach, she worked out the best method to apply the splint with the least amount of pain. Her eyes flickered to dark brown before returning to her task. Slowly and carefully she worked the sleeve off the detective's right arm, catching a reflection of the angry contusions along her lean back in the bathroom mirror. Blinking hot tears away, she fell back on science. "I'm…I'm going to need to apply the tape securely across the fractured ribs, center to spine. It will help stabilize any movement on your right side and lessen the pain without constricting your breathing. You really should be wearing a sling to immobilize your right arm, Jane."
Chewing her lower lip, clearly the idea of causing the detective any more pain was repugnant. "It's going to hurt," she finished quietly. A slender finger tilted her chin up so their eyes could meet. "I trust you Maura." Something more, something tangible seemed to pass between them; a declaration of more than momentary significance. Swallowing hard, Jane was the first to break, mirth carefully layered in her smoky voice. "I mean, after all, my 'current caregiver' is utterly incompetent...how bad can it be?" Hissing in a breath as the doctor's gentle fingers placed the first strip of tape tightly in place she bit down and continued, her voice a little more strained but still striving to maintain lightness, trying her best to distract them both from the task at hand. "Seriously, Maur. Shit! Fuck! That hurt! Whhhooo knows what kind of liberties she's tried to take…what with sponge baths and all and me all knocked out? I should probably feel violated."
Jackpot. The small smile that tugged at the doctor's lips was all Jane needed as hazel green flashed briefly at her. Ow, FUCK that hurts! Like REALLY…shit, thafuckingreallyhurts. Likereallyreally…I. She could hear Maura murmuring things to her but couldn't quite make out what she was saying. Was she whispering? "Jane…JANE." Oh sweet relief of a cool wet wash cloth across her forehead, this time a welcomed gesture. Humming her approval, Jane's eyes slid open along with a drowsy, loopy smile. "Hey… We done already?" Maura's worried countenance split into a grin as she nodded her head, smoothing her hand across her friend's brow and into her hair. "Yes, we are finished." It was then that the detective realized she was lying on the cold tile floor with plush towels tucked under her head. "Oh. Well now, this is embarrassing." Doing her best to hoist herself up into a standing position, she gratefully allowed her friend to bare most of the weight. Once on her own two feet, she internally judged her equilibrium and decided that she could stand after a few shaky steps.
Jane's casual sweep around the room landed on the clock on the counter. "Shit." Grabbing Maura's hand she guided them back into the bedroom with purpose and over to sit on the edge of the bed. Their fingers linked, as she faced inquisitive eyes. "I…I know you have a lot of questions but I don't have much time. I've been here longer than I should have so I'm really going to have to cut to the chase, I'm sorry." Scrubbing her hand over her face, she linked their fingers again and continued. "While I've been out of things, Korsak said the bomb squad was able to match the detonator signature to several open mob related cases…executions…one bomb maker, a big deal assassin. But we already knew that because, well…" Cringing, she exhaled the rest of the sentence on one breath. "…because Patrick Doyle is the one that tipped Korsak off and convinced him to fake my death."
Watching hazel eyes widen and Maura's mouth drop open in a very un-Maura like fashion, Jane decided to rush to the finish before her friend could interject. "Doyle doesn't yet know who called the hit but didn't want to take any chances with you getting anywhere near the case. He used that to convince Korsak that faking my death and keeping me out was the only way to keep you safe and out of the spotlight while they got their hands on the bomber." Her voice was sad as she explained. "The less you knew, the safer you would be. I have no idea how they got me out of there, all I know is that one of Doyle's medical flunkies has kept me knocked out because she said one of the breaks might could," waiving a hand without much thought, "I don't know, maybe puncture a lung or something." Strangely, Maura reacted to this news more than anything she had heard all evening…well, except for the news that Jane was indeed alive. "WHAT? Jane! You should bbee…" Cool fingertips across her lips cut off her warning, sending an unexpected tingle throughout her tired body. "Maura, I've been pretty much flat on my back for the last six days doing nothing but healing and sleeping and not knowing what the hell was going on. Don't worry, okay?" Realizing that her fingers were still pressed against extremely warm and supple lips, Jane shyly withdrew her hand, their intense gaze never breaking.
Clearing her throat, she stood and paced, her back to the bed trying to find the strength for the next part. Turning, she watched as Maura stood and walked toward her deliberately, each searching as the doctor stepped well within the detective's personal space as if it were her own. Jane's dark eyes memorized everything as she smiled and reached down, tucking an errant curl away, her fingers slipping through the silky golden strands and playing with the ends before joining their hands with a light squeeze. Her jaw clenched for a few seconds before she could speak. Closing her eyes, she said the words that had to be said. "I have to go now, Maura. My being here is dangerous for you but I couldn't let you think that I was dead. I just…I knew…I know how it would be if…I were in your place." Shoulders slumping, she opened her eyes to fiery green and a hoarse but fierce voice. "No. NO! Don't you dare…" Punctuated by a jabbing finger that didn't actually make contact for fear of hurting her friend, "Don't you DARE think that you are leaving me behind again, Jane Rizzoli. I'm going with you."
Her Italian blood heated along with her need to protect the woman she…loved. There it was. Her best friend…her whatever. She loved this woman and would move Heaven and earth if necessary to keep her safe. Jane stepped even closer, teeth grinding, left hand on hip, the other still curled protectively against her stomach. Using her height advantage, she leaned forward, looking down into equally stubborn green. "NO. No way. Maura, this isn't up for discussion." Shaking her head, her left hand flailed in heated frustration as her voice got louder with each element of fear and frustration. "Did you happen to hear in your big brain when I mentioned PATRICK DOYLE and the MOB? I won't risk your safety. HELL NO…NO...No… I… you can't ask me to do that..." Quieter, she caught hazel green and continued sincerely. "Please. Please don't ask me to do that." Never breaking eye contact, the doctor moved in closer, mirroring the hands on hips stance, chest heaving, her voice lower and raw. "So put yourself in my shoes now, Jane. Do you honestly think you could let me go after thinking I was dead for six days?" Letting that sink in she continued as their breaths mingled in warm puffs against each other's skin, "I'm not leaving your side and I don't think you are in any condition to stop me."
Closing her eyes, the thought of losing Maura under any circumstances left the detective visibly shaken. Looking down at her spitfire of a friend, Jane had to bite back a smile at the veiled threat, her eyes casting appreciatively lower before returning to hazel green. "You know…you would be a lot scarier if you weren't practically naked and wearing my jacket." Dark eyes twinkling, she added with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, "Nice." A scarlet heat spread immediately upward from Maura's chest along her neck but she refused to break their gaze. Instead, she cocked a sculpted eyebrow upward in challenge and answered smugly. "Thank you. La Perla." The detective dropped her eyes again, taking her time. "Yeah. Didn't think it was JCPenny." That earned her a full fledged glare. Jane's smile signaled an end to the standoff, her smoky voice teasing. "So… what? Are you going to hit me again if I don't do as you say?" The doctor's lips hinted at a smile as she held that dark gaze, head tilted slightly in mock thought. "No. Not at this moment, no." Jane couldn't help but grin. God, how I've missed this woman.
"So I take it we are settled and I'm going with you?" Turning on her heel, "I'll just pack some necessities." Stopping in the threshold of her huge walk-in closet, Maura hesitated, overcome by fear. Turning back to find Jane, she bit her bottom lip before speaking, afraid she was going to come across as too needy. "You…you aren't going to…" Understanding the unspoken, Jane crossed the room in three easy strides and cupped the doctor's face with her good hand, placing a gentle kiss to a creased forehead. "I'm not going to leave you, Maur. You have to know that I never would if I had a choice."
Finding scared eyes, she dipped her head so that they were on the same level. "But we really need to hurry. Don't pack too much, okay? One bag. ONE bag, Maura. We need to be able to move fast. Nothing fancy. Oh, and no heels." Off the doctor's horrified look, Jane rolled her eyes. "You need to be able to run if the situation calls for it." Frowning but somewhat satisfied, the doctor returned to her task of grabbing things she would need and throwing them into her bag. Normally, she would fold everything neatly and carefully arrange the placement of each item, but something about tonight and the desperation in Jane's tone allowed her to abandon all routine. Turning, she collided with her lanky detective whose arms were full of favored toiletries. "I know you like these in a separate bag." Reaching across the doctor's shoulder to the top shelf, their bodies brushed faintly together before Jane retrieved and filled a smaller LV embossed travel bag with her bounty. "Hey, I need to grab a few of my things here since…well, I don't have anything other than what I'm wearing and I don't know about you, but I think this hoodie has seen better days." Smiling in return, Maura walked over to the drawer where she kept all of Jane's accumulated clothes and grabbed what she thought necessary, adding them with her own.
Finished packing, she found the Jane leaning against the threshold to her bedroom, firearm suddenly at her side, weariness and exhaustion masked by determined intent. Their eyes meeting, the tight lines vanished from the detective's face, replaced by a genuine smile. Reaching out, their fingers twined together as they made their way downstairs and through the dark kitchen to the back door. Stopping short, Maura could feel and see every muscle in the detective's body twitch and thrum as she looked through the window pane to the dark street and beyond, her fingers untangled to rest over the butt of the cold Glock on her hip, trying to assess any possible threat but seeing none.
Turning to her friend, she carefully pulled her right arm away from her body and gingerly took Maura's hand so that her shooting hand remained free. "I parked Korsak's truck one street over and three houses down. We should be able to stick to the shadows until we get there." Finding wide hazel green, "You ready?" The doctor nodded and readjusted the strap of her bag across her shoulder for the tenth time, her nerves unraveling until she settled upon serious chocolate brown eyes. Strong fingers along her jaw line sent a shiver throughout her body and she did little to hide it. Their gaze holding for a few seconds longer, Jane finally blinked, the gravity of what they were about to do heavy on her mind. Her hand coming to rest in the delicate curve of the doctor's neck, her thumb traced figure eights while she tried to find words. "Maura…if you need to change your mind…" A sharp look squashed that hope and she stepped closer, her voice pleading and sincere in desperation. "You have to promise me, Maur, if we do this…if something happens… if I tell you to run, you'll run without question. I can't…"
A mirror to her earlier movement, slender but strong fingers across her lips stopped the detective from completing her sentence. "Jane. I will…do my best to stay out of harm's way but I can't promise you anything when it comes to leaving you…I just can't. And I…well, I won't." Acknowledging the raw emotion stirring between them, the detective's hand returned to her sidearm as she clenched her jaw in recognition, her gaze reluctantly tearing away and surveying the darkened landscape once again. Squeezing their linked fingers, she twisted the knob on the door. "Stay close to me, Maura." The brisk air stole their breath at once, Maura punching in the security code on the keypad as the wind whipped her hair around. Turning into the darkness, they made their way slowly through a sleeping neighborhood to Korsak's truck, not knowing what their next move would be but thankful the endless rain had finally stopped.
Thank you so much for reading. Please let me know who you are and what you think.