Janes POV
I had butterflies as I rode the elevator, excited to see all my colleagues after so long. I walked casually into the room, sitting at my desk and flicking through files I had left in the centre of the desk.
"Oh; hi." I smirked as I looked up, Frost and Korsak staring at me in confusion. They both laughed as they came over and hugged me, taking their turns to feel my belly. They had picked a perfect time; the baby started rolling like mad all of a sudden.
"You're huge!" Korsak commented as he rested both his hands on either side of the basketball sized stomach coming out of the front of my blazer.
"Hey." I warned, making everyone laugh. The baby was really starting to move around, making me lean forward slightly, my face grimacing at the uncomfortable feeling. I noticed both the men take a slight step back, their eyes wide with panic. I couldn't help but laugh, rolling my eyes at them. Believe me, if I was having the baby; they'd know about it. "I don't know why she's so active all of a sudden." I sighed as the baby calmed down, giving me time to sit back down in my work chair. I straightened my jacket and was about to start speaking to Frost when I was interrupted.
"I can think of a reason." I recognised the voice coming from behind me, but I refused to believe it. I didn't turn around, feeling frozen where I sat, as if in response to the person's words, the baby gave me one swift kick to the bottom of my stomach.
"Shut the front door." I breathed as I turned around and met Caseys familiar eyes. He looked directly down at my stomach, not hesitating to walk toward me. I had no intention of getting out of my chair. At eight months pregnant I'd figured out people just worked around you. He kneeled down in front of me, kissing my cheek lightly. For the first time since I met him, I flinched at his touch.
He was still in his army uniform, and his red eyes told me he hadn't slept since he got back. I had seen this exact look too many times. He placed a hand on my stomach, smiling at the movement underneath his hand.
"Wh- What are you doing here?" I asked, completely puzzled. Unless I was counting wrong, it had definitely not been eleven months.
"I came back for this." He told me, nodding toward my belly. "Did I hear you say she just before?" He asked, his eyes again focused completely on my stomach. I nodded, grabbing my handbag. I rummaged through it and pulled out the ultrasound photo, placing it in his rough hands.
"When you say you came back for this.. What does that mean?" I asked, a no doubt confused expression written all over my face as I tried to read him; tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
"You." He laughed, making me sink into my chair with a groan. "And our baby." He added, a shot of guilt pulsing through my head; Mauras face blurring all of her thoughts.
"We broke up." I reminded him casually, pushing his hand off my stomach. His rough hands were making me uncomfortable, and I could feel something coming that I was not keen for by any measure. "I'm involved with someone." I figured if there was one way to help him get the hint; this was probably going to be it. I noted that Korsak and Frost were both slyly looking on and were well within hearing range. "Maura and I-"
"I knew it!" Frost called, making me jump in my seat as he threw a fist in the air. A glare from Casey was enough to make him clear his throat, getting up and swiftly leaving the room.
"Can we have dinner?" He asked, not approaching the subject of Maura and I what-so-ever. I was getting annoyed. I knew Casey, and I knew he didn't take anything I was saying seriously.
"No, I have plans with Maura." As far as I knew, our plans were the same as they were every night; but he did not need to know that.
"Bring her." He said simply, shrugging his shoulders as he stood up. "We all need to talk anyway." He was right; there was so much we were going to have to discuss; so many fine lines that were going to have to be smoothed out before my little girl arrived. The last thing I wanted was for her to be here and nothing be sorted out.
"Come to our house tonight. I live at Mauras now." I clarified for him. The baby had completely relaxed, no longer making me antsy and uncomfortable. I looked at the clock on the wall. "I have to go." I sighed, "Don't." I added as he reached his hand out, trying to help me get up. I know he was only doing it to be nice, but I felt as though any little thing I gave him, he would turn into something it wasn't. He followed me into the elevator, and everything inside of me prayed that Maura wasn't waiting for me.
Of course, I was never a lucky person; and there she was as the doors opened, laughing with my brother at the front desk. My heart broke as her eyes met Caseys, her smile fading instantly. I could see the pain makes its way onto her face as Frankie placed a hand protectively around her waist. I made a mental note to thank him for it later.
"If you say anything to upset her…" I warned, not feeling the need to finish my sentence. As usual, he ignored me as I spoke, walking straight up to Frankie and shaking his hand politely before he turned his gaze to Maura. She was looking straight at me, and I could see the worry and panic in her eyes.
"Dr Isles." Caseys voice was fluid, no emotion what-so-ever behind his words. She nodded at him, and I assumed she couldn't trust her voice at a moment like this. "I'll see you both tonight." He added before he left, Mauras eyes widening as she looked at me. Once she was sure he was gone, she sighed dramatically.
"See him tonight?!" Her voice was high pitched, and I instantly felt bad for telling him to come to her home. I took two steps, closing the distance between us, taking her hands between mine, her eyes glassy when she looked at me. Frankie took the hint and walked away, his hand touching my shoulder before he was gone.
"Maura, we have to do this." I told her, hoping like hell I could convince her it was the right thing. "For her." I added, placing our hands on my swollen stomach. She glared at me, having told me more than once during my pregnancy that I couldn't use the baby to get my way.
"Where are we meeting him?" She sighed, her eyes softening as her hands fell to either side of her hips. I pursed my lips, reading for the reaction that I was about to get. "Shut the front door." She added, and I realised that that was a phrase I had picked up from her. "My house?!" She complained, throwing her head backwards dramatically.
"Please, baby?" I asked, her eyes widening slightly at my words. They shot open when I kissed her lips lightly, letting her soft lips rest on mine for a few seconds before I pulled away. She agreed to dinner, but she also said that it would be one course and he had to be out of the house by 9pm. I felt sixteen again.
"Okay, let's work on a list." Maura said as we both sat at the kitchen counter. She had stayed in her dressed up work look for dinner, but there was no way the pregnant lady was doing that too. I sat in sweat pants and an oversized jumper. We decided to work up a list of all the things we wanted, as well as any particular questions we had for Casey. I only had one. Was he planning on asking for shared custody? I was more than willing to fight him to the death over that one.
I was busy shovelling a bowl of mocha ice cream in my mouth, which Maura had refused to go anywhere near, when the doorbell rang. She sighed; giving me a look that told me part of her blamed me for all of this. I wondered momentarily if she wishes none of this had happened. I didn't have much time to debate the fact before Casey was standing beside me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. Maura stood opposite us, opening a beer, her jaw clenched as she handed it to him.
"Okay, you two need to stop." I groaned, placing my bowl on the counter, Maura jumping slightly at the harsh sound the china made against the marble bench top. "If this is ever going to work you need to both stop thinking you have some weird claim to me." Mauras eyes shot to mine, a hurt look on her face. "No, I mean, you do have me – Maura." I warned. This was not the time or place for her to be getting technical and clueless on me.
"Are you getting married?" Casey asked, my head snapping in his direction as Maura quickly interjected before I got to speak.
"Probably." She said, an emotional expression on her face as she took a sip of her red wine. The look she was directing at him was cold, and for a split second I was proud of her.
"So you're planning on raising the baby here?" He asked, his glance lingering on Maura for a few more seconds before he looked at me. I nodded, taking a slight sip of Mauras wine to get the flavour of fake mocha out of my mouth. She smiled sweetly at me as I handed the glass back to her. She was thinking something, and I wished I could figure it out. I sincerely hoped it was nothing too evil.
"So you're planning on going back to Afghanistan?" There it was. I pursed my lips. I knew Maura had a lot of pent up anger directed toward Casey. Maybe it was best to just let them have it out for a few minutes. So that's what I did.
Mauras POV
"So, you're planning on going back to Afghanistan?" I asked, raising my eyebrows as I mimicked the way he had so rudely asked if we were raising the baby here. Jane pursed her lips but said nothing, letting me know to get it out of my system while I could.
"Do you have a problem with me, Dr Isles?" Casey asked, squinting as he looked at me, placing his beer against his lips. I never understood what Jane saw in him. Thankfully for the baby, he was physically appealing; but I would never forgive him for the countless nights I had Jane sobbing in my arms over him leaving her; again.
"I don't know. Do you have a problem up and leaving again?" I asked, glaring at him over my wine glass. His eyes widened, as if he hadn't suspected that level of rudeness from someone as small and shy as me. "You're terrible." I added, deciding to just let it all off my chest. "And if there was a way I could keep you away from Jane for the rest of her life; I'd utilise it." He looked at Jane who just looked at me, her lips still pursed, but a bright light in her eyes that screamed how proud she was of me.
"I love-"
"Don't even." I laughed, making his eyes switch from Jane, to me. "Don't you even dare say that you love her." I was so angry, I could physically feel it building in my chest. "I love her. I am here for her morning and night, I am consistent and have never once let her down." He looked at Jane again, as if expecting her to chime in and stand up for him somehow. "Do you want to count the amount of times you have let her down?"
"Okay, that's enough." Jane interjected now, my anger becoming visible on my face. "She needed to get that out if we were ever going to move forward." She told Casey, who simply nodded, his eyes on my face. "Should we talk about nugget now?" Jane asked, both of us turning our attention to the most incredible women either of us had ever met.
"I'm going to go have a shower." I spoke, no longer feeling like taking any part in the conversation. Jane didn't argue with me, simply sitting in my kitchen with her ex as I walked upstairs, sobs escaping my chest the second I closed the bathroom door.