Chapter 10 DD
"Um, I think I'll head home for a while…try to sort through a few things…" Jane put the car in park and looked over to see a sad yet expectant look on Maura's face.
"You need space…" Maura sighed. It came out as a statement because Maura knew it was the truth.
"Not from you Maur…" Jane started to say but stopped when her eyes found something of interest sitting on the steps leading to Maura's front door. "Were you expecting a delivery today?"
"No…I'm not." Maura turned her attention to whatever it was that Jane was looking at.
"Over there…" Jane pointed towards the entry way and the package that sat precariously on the steps.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Maura let out a heavy breath as she undid her seat belt. Just as she was about to open her door to get out, Jane's hand fell on her knee, stopping her.
"Wait…" Jane said, her eyes still on the package on the doorstep. "Let me check it out first." She turned the car off and handed Maura the keys.
"Please be careful." Maura conceded, knowing that she wouldn't win an argument when it came to her safety.
Jane climbed out of the car and stretched her tall frame before trying to give Maura a reassuring smile over her shoulder.
Maura watched as Jane carefully approached the items that were sitting outside her doorstep. As she watched, she held her breath with each step that Jane took as she got closer and closer to the perceived threat. She sighed in relief when Jane took out her phone and waved her over.
"You got some evidence bags in your trunk?" Jane asked as she pulled out a pair of latex gloves from her jacket pocket.
With a nod, Maura retrieved several different sized evidence bags as well as her Medical Examiners bag. "What is it?" She asked as she too pulled some latex gloves from her bag.
"I think you received a gift…" Jane said absently as she snapped her gloves into place on her hands. "Three red roses and if my gut instincts are correct…a bottle of cognac in this box." She bent down to remove the white envelope with Maura's name neatly printed on the front.
"That's odd…" Maura mused as she moved to stand next to Jane. "What does it say?"
Jane read the words and then reread them several more times, her brow furrowing deeper with each pass she made until she finally looked up to address Maura. "Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality." She couldn't stop herself from running her fingers through her hair as she continued to study the card with a puzzled expression. "I know that quote…"
"Here…there is something written on the back…" Maura reached over to take the card and flip it over so they could both see. The words were written neatly and precisely in black fountain pen, the black lettering a stark contrast to the white paper they were written on. "Is there light among the darkness? I think not…for if there was, hope would prevail. But for you there is no hope and there is no light to find you in the darkness." Maura read aloud and shivered as a chill ran through her.
"Okay…I think that one is an original." Jane let out a heavy sigh as she took the card from Maura's now shaking hand. "The quote on the other hand is from Poe's 'The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket,' a rather gruesome and violent novel that focused on the contradictions between chaos and order…or at least that is the way I see it." She shrugged her shoulders as she slipped the white card into an evidence bag.
"I'm not familiar with that novel…" Maura started to say.
"Yeah, well from what I understand…it is the only novel he ever completed. It isn't bad…if you're into shipwrecks, mutiny, and cannibalism that is…" Jane gave Maura a sheepish grin.
"Sounds like a pleasant read." Maura frowned as she tried to gather her thoughts. Even though her name wasn't used, she knew that the words were meant for her…meant to frighten her and they did. "I'll call the crew in to go over the evidence we've gathered and head over to the labs to help…"
"Whoa…" Jane held her hands up to stop Maura from continuing. "While I agree with mostly everything you just said…I will be taking you over to the labs myself. I have no intention of letting you out of my sight any time soon."
"Look, I understand and appreciate what you are trying to do but you have your own job to do…which is trying to track down this…" Maura paused as she tried to think of the right word.
"Bastard?" Jane threw out in an effort to help.
"Yes…bastard…" Maura gave Jane a nod of agreement. "If I agree to let you take me…will you please let Viv bring me home so you can get to work as well?"
Jane bite down on her bottom lip and frowned as she thought about Maura's offer. "Only if you promise that you will have Viv bring you right back here after."
"Alright…" Maura agreed.
"Really?" Jane seemed surprised as she gave Maura a sideways glance.
"Yes…really. I see no point in trying to argue with you when I know I will only lose." Maura tried to smile, but she was just too tired.
"Come'ere…" Jane reached over to pull Maura against her in a hug. "Promise me you won't take any chances." She couldn't stop herself from running her fingers through Maura's silky, soft hair.
"I promise if you do…" Maura buried her face against Jane's chest, taking comfort in the feeling of Jane's fingers running through her hair as well as the sound of her heart beat.
"I promise…" Jane murmured as she placed a gentle kiss on the top of Maura's head. Without thinking about it, Jane pulled Maura closer to her and began to gently rock her back and forth. "And I promise not to let go."
"So does it bother you that everyone seems to congregate at your place?" Vivian asked as she sat at the breakfast bar watching Maura move around the kitchen looking for a bottle opener.
"No, not really. I think I prefer having the company to just sitting around here alone…waiting…" Maura couldn't stop herself from frowning as she contemplated just what exactly she was waiting for.
"I guess that makes sense." Vivian leaned against the top of the bar using her elbows. She contemplated Maura's frown as she rested her chin in the palms of her hands. "When does she get home?" The question didn't need any clarification because Maura knew exactly who she was talking about.
"She said in about an hour…" Maura let out a sigh of contentment as the thought of Jane coming home to her home made her happy. "They had a few lose ends to tie up. The only reason she isn't home now is because I told her you agreed to stay until she got here." She gave Vivian a grateful smile. As she moved around the kitchen with familiar ease she couldn't help but notice Vivian's striking blue eyes as they followed her every move. The deep dark blue that was framed by black lashes was a startling contrast to Vivian's tan skin "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?" The words were out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop herself.
Vivian blinked a few times in surprise as a blush colored her cheeks. "Um…yes…almost every day by Micha…" She all but stammered at the unexpected complement drawing a laugh from Maura. "But thank you…"
"Well, I am glad to hear that you are being appreciated." Maura smiled genuinely over at Vivian who continued to blush profusely. "Now, shall we have a glass of wine?"
"That would be wonderful." Vivian did her best not to feel flushed by Maura's words, but her attraction to the older woman was making it difficult. Even though she knew Maura was off limits and she had someone to go home to each night, she couldn't help but have a crush on her.
"Here…" Maura handed over the glass of red wine as she took a sip from her own glass. She couldn't stop herself from smiling as her lips touched the rim, there was just something about the fragrance of red wine that brought about an instant calm to her. Perhaps it was the spicy oak overtones with just the hint of sweetness or just maybe it was because it reminded her of the way that Jane smelled. It surprised her that Jane's natural scent was spicy and woodsy with just the barest hint of lavender from her shampoo. She had surmised long ago that it might be the soap Jane used, but for some reason she knew that Jane's skin would have that same spicy, woodsy taste she was so fond of.
Watching the faraway look in Maura's eyes, Vivian had no doubt who Maura was thinking of. She couldn't stifle the chuckle that escaped from her lips as she took her fist sip of wine. "Thinking about someone special?"
"Oh…" This time Maura blushed as she struggled to explain her sudden awkwardness. She relaxed instantly when she saw the easy smile on Vivian's face. "Yes…as a matter of fact…I am." The devilish twinkle in her eye caused Vivian to grin sheepishly. "And you don't need to ask who…as I am sure you can come to that conclusion on your own."
"Did she finally make a move?" Vivian leaned forward, her expression filled with interest.
"I suppose you could say that I did…" Maura let out a heavy sigh as she thought back to that night she had kissed Jane in the car.
"And…?" Vivian leaned further still as if it would somehow cause Maura to tell her story faster. "Did it work out?"
"No…not a first." Maura pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she took a seat across from Vivian.
"What? Come on…please…tell me what happened…" Vivian took a deep breath as she prepared to listen to how stupid Jane must be.
"Well, after having dinner with you and Micha…I don't know…" Maura paused to lower her gaze. "I kissed her…"
"You kissed her! And then what happened? What did she do?" The questions flowed from Vivian's mouth without a breath in-between.
"Nothing…" Maura held up her hand to indicate that Vivian should let her finish as the younger woman almost bounced out of her chair in her excitement to ask more questions. "Nothing happened for almost a week…but then the last murder happened." She ran her finger along the rim of her glass as she studied the ruby red liquid in her glass. "It forced us to deal with the situation I had created…"
"Situation you created? Come on…your detective can't keep her eyes off of you when you're both in a room together…you didn't create anything…" Vivian's tone held a note of anger as she watched Maura continue to run her finger along the rim of her glass.
Finally Maura looked up to meet Vivian's electric blue gaze with a small smile on her face. "We talked and she said she wants the same things I do…" The tentative smile dropped just a little as Maura chewed on her bottom lip.
Vivian had come to recognize the small idiosyncrasies that were unique to Maura and what they meant. She knew what the lip biting indicated and she let out a heavy sigh. "But…?"
"But…" Maura's cheeks colored slightly with embarrassment. "She wants to wait until the case is over…she wants to make sure we aren't just acting out of the need for comfort during this horrible situation we've found ourselves in."
"Do you think she's just stalling you?" It was the same question that Maura had asked herself for days.
"I don't want to think so, but sometimes…yes I do." Maura shrugged her shoulders as she answered,
"Yeah, well I don't. She is definitely in love with you…she may not be ready to admit it yet, but she is totally head over heels in love with you Maura." Vivian smiled warmly as she reached over to place her hand over Maura's in an effort to comfort.
Maura took the unfamiliar hand in her own, accepting the comfort being offered. With a crooked grin, she gave Vivian's hand a gentle squeeze to acknowledge the friendship that had begun to blossom between them. "Thank you…" She whispered just as the backdoor flew open to revel a rumpled looking Jane who was sporting the beginnings of a black eye and the remnants of a bloody nose.
Finding Maura and Vivian sitting at the breakfast bar holding hands was the last thing that Jane had expected to find when she got home. She tried to frown at the scene before her, but the swelling around her eye caused her to wince. Reaching up to touch the tender spot under her eye, her fingers brushed past the wetness under her nose. "Damn…it's bleeding again…" She grumbled as she rushed towards the kitchen sink to grab a paper towel.
"Jane…what happened?" Maura jumped up to follow Jane to the sink. "Please let me have a look at it…" She attempted to touch the bruised that was forming under Jane's eye.
"Nah…I'm fine." Jane grumbled around the wet paper towel she was holding against her nose. "Just need some ice." Crossing her arms in front of her as she stilled pressed the paper towel to her nose was a feeble attempt at best to put some distance between them.
"I don't like the gash above your eye…I think it may need some stitches." Maura ignored the invisible barrier that Jane had set up as her fingers brushed across the cut above Jane's eyebrow.
"What…I didn't realize that was there." Jane absent mindedly reached up to touch the spot that Maura's fingers were still lingering over. "I'm fine…really…" She tried to pull away again.
"Stop fidgeting…" The tone of Maura's voice was stern yet held the slight bit of concern.
"I am not fidgeting…" Jane pulled back until she was effectively pined against the kitchen sink and Maura.
"Yes…you are…" Maura studied the small cut with a measured eye. "Now stop so I can evaluate you…"
"I don't need you to evaluate me Maura…" Jane tried to argue.
"You do and you will…" Maura continued to press. "And stop acting like a petulant child."
Jane's eyes widened at Maura's words before casting a glance over at Vivian who was trying hard not to laugh. "I am not acting like a petulant child…" She growled before standing still and giving up.
"I think a few butterfly stitches should do. I don't think the nose is broken…" Maura touched the side of Jane's nose drawing a yelp from her. "No…I think it's just badly bruised. I'll go get my medical bag…" Maura gave Jane's cheek a gentle pat. "Put some ice on that until I come back."
Jane crossed her arms again and glared at Maura's retreating back. She couldn't stop the small smirk that formed on her lips at the fuss Maura was making. It wasn't until her eyes came back to connect with the electric blue of Vivian's that she remembered why she had been annoyed in the first place.
When her eyes met with Jane's, Vivian could see that Jane wasn't happy about what she had seen when she came in. "Just get married already…" She said in Spanish, not expecting Jane to understand. But as a dark eyebrow raised in question, Vivian realized that Jane had indeed understood what she said. "You speak Spanish?"
"I do…" Jane tried to glare at her but her nose and eye were making it difficult.
"So I guess you understood what I said…huh?" Vivian shrugged her shoulders as she held Jane's gaze.
"I did…" Jane nodded as she leaned against the sink and continued to watch Vivian as she nervously shifted in her seat.
For a moment there was an uncomfortable silence between them. Vivian wasn't sure what she should say or if she should say anything at all. As they continued to watch each other, each sizing up the situation, Vivian made a sudden decision.
"If you wait too long, someone else is going to come along and discover what a wonderful woman Maura is and snatch her right out from underneath you…" Vivian took the leap and said what she was thinking.
"And would that someone be you?" Jane asked without breaking eye contact, her Spanish clear and flawless.
Vivian stared into dark eyes that dared her to say yes. "It might be…" Vivian hesitated. "If I wasn't in love with someone else." She answered honestly. "But if not me…then someone else. I don't know what you're waiting for. It's obvious you love her…and she loves you."
"You think she loves me?" Jane's voice suddenly became quiet and unsure.
"And I thought you were a good detective." Vivian tried to laugh, but stopped when she saw the serious look on Jane's face marred by the uncertainty she couldn't hide. "Yes…I think she is in love with you but you had better quit putting her off. She is doubting your intentions…"
"Damn…" Jane let out a heavy breath as she ran her fingers through her hair. Before she could say anything else, she spotted Maura as she hesitated in the door way.
"I didn't know you spoke Spanish Jane…and so fluently." Maura tried not to sound surprised. She had learned long ago that Jane's skill set surpassed mostly everyone, including herself at times. Even though she could speak several different languages, Spanish was not one of them.
"I picked up a little while I was undercover working narcotics…" Jane tried to shrug off the fact that she had picked up more than just a few phrases. Having things come easy to her was just something she had learned to live with and speaking different languages was one of them.
"I'd say more than a little…your accent is flawless." Vivian said in an effort to get Jane not to down play how much she knew.
Setting her medical bag down on the kitchen counter, Maura moved over to stand next to Jane. "Would you please sit down so I can get this taken care of?" She gave Jane a gentle push over towards the chair across from Vivian.
Jane didn't try to fight it when she was given a gentle nudge towards the chair. With a resigned sigh, she moved to sit down so she was eye level with Maura. She found it difficult to breathe when Maura moved to stand between her legs so she could see better and it took all of her will power not to reach out and place her hands on Maura's hips. All she could do was slip her hands under her thighs to keep them from betraying her thoughts.
"So, do you want to tell me what happened?" Maura reached into her medical bag and pulled out some alcohol swabs and butterfly stitches.
"Nope…" Jane looked down at her hands that were neatly tucked under her legs.
"Do I want to know what happened?" Maura continued to prod.
"Probably not…" Jane's shoulders dropped just enough for Maura to notice.
"Is it because I won't approve or is it because you put yourself into a dangerous situation?" Maura dabbed at the small cut above Jane's eyebrow causing her to scowl at the slight sting. "Sorry…this may sting a little."
"I think…both." Jane tried not to sound like she was pouting as the stinging slowly subsided. "I wouldn't know where to start."
"How about you start from the beginning…" Maura reached over Jane's shoulder to pick up the butterfly stitches. The move caused her to lean closer, invading Jane's personal space in a somewhat calculated move. She couldn't stop herself from smiling when she heard the quick inhale of breath that indicated that her proximity was having an effect on Jane.
Vivian sat back and watched the two women move around each other as if it were the most natural thing in the world for them to be that close. The banter that played between them held a familiarity she had only seen between two lovers causing her feel as if she were intruding on something private. As the scene played out before her, she was distracted by a light knock on the back door. Neither Jane nor Maura made a move to indicate that they had heard it, so Vivian got up to answer it. As she peered through the small window in the door, she recognized the young man on the other side as one of the detectives that Jane was working with so she opened the door to let him in.
"Detective Hale…right?" Vivian stepped back so he could enter the kitchen.
"Yeah…call me Danny." He smiled at her as he closed the door behind him. "Uh oh…did she get into trouble?" He tilted his head towards Jane and Maura who had yet to notice his appearance.
"You could say a little…" Vivian couldn't stop herself from smirking as she headed back over to take her seat again. Looking over her shoulder, she couldn't help but smile at him as he followed her. His rich brown eyes were as dark as Jane's but there was a warmth and tenderness hidden in the depths that instantly set Vivian at ease.
"Did she tell you what happened?" He quirked an eyebrow at her as he leaned against the breakfast bar next to her.
"Nope not yet…but Maura's working on that." Vivian grinned as she turned her attention to the two women who still seemed oblivious to notice that someone new had entered the room.
"Is that blood on your jacket, Jane?" Maura couldn't keep the chastising tone from her voice as she touched the spot of blood on Jane's jacket.
"Maybe…" Jane kept her eyes down as she watched Maura's fingers try to wipe the blood away. She didn't look up until she heard someone clearing their throat and by the deep timber, she realized it wasn't Maura. "Oh…hey…when did you get here?" She directed her attention to Danny.
"Just few minutes ago…um…" He looked at Vivian with an apologetic smile because he didn't know her name.
"Vivian Sanchez…but you can call me Viv…" She smiled over at him.
"Viv here let me in." He leaned over the counter to get a better look at Jane's face. "Damn…I didn't realize how bad it was…" The wince indicated that he knew exactly what had happened and it didn't go unnoticed by Maura.
"Then you can explain what happened…" Maura turned expectant eyes towards him.
"Um…well…" He nervously ran his hand over the back of his neck as he tried to think of what to say.
"Someone better tell me what happened…" Maura's eyes flashed with an uncharacteristic anger that she rarely unleashed.
"Okay…okay…" Jane threw her hands up in defeat. "Look, it isn't a big deal Maur…"
"I'll be the judge of that…" Maura did her best not to sound angry.
"You'd better tell her before I do." Danny tried not to smirk at Jane.
"You're an asshole…" Jane drew out the last word for emphasis.
"That may be but at least I didn't walk into a door…" He couldn't stop the laugh from escaping when he saw the look of surprise on both Maura and Jane's faces.
"Definitely an asshole…" Jane grumbled as she dropped her eyes from Maura's surprised gaze. "I was leaving at the same time as someone was coming in and…what can I say…my nose got in the way."
"While I understand your embarrassment, I don't appreciate you insinuating that you had been injured in an altercation." Maura tried to sound more concerned than chastising.
"She got into an altercation with a door." Danny laughed again.
"Shut up already…" Jane glowered at him as her temper neared the breaking point. It was the feeling of Maura's lips tenderly touching her forehead that brought an instant calm to her.
"All better?" Maura asked.
"All better…" Jane reached up to touch the butterfly stitches before touching the spot where Maura's lips had just been.
Danny couldn't help but glance over at Vivian to see what her reaction was. What he saw mirrored his own reaction and he smiled knowingly at her. He could tell that she felt the same way he did, like they were somehow witnessing something private between two people that cared deeply for each other. Perhaps it was because he could see the deep adoration each woman had in their eyes as they stared at each other or maybe it was because he recognized 'family' when he saw them. But with that recognition came the knowledge that it was a secret that needed to be protected. He blushed slightly when he realized that Vivian was watching him carefully as if trying to puzzle through something. Only when he gave her a slight nod did she smile broadly over at him as she came to the conclusion she had been trying to puzzle through.
"So…are we gonna do some police work or what?" Jane perked up once she realized that Maura wasn't mad at her.
"You know, you're not off the hook yet…" Maura leaned close to Jane to whisper in her ear. "We'll finish this later." She promised.
A shiver ran through Jane's body as she realized that Maura was referring to more than just the bruised pride she was nursing. In her heart she knew what she wanted from Maura but her head was still battling with the logic that could eventually lead to her losing Maura. With a weak nod, she acknowledged that she and Maura would talk later.
"Well, how 'bout we start…" Vivian sat up straight and clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention. "As I am sure you know…we did everything we could to try to find any trace of fingerprints or evidence of any kind that can be traced back to the killer and as I am sure you know…we are dealing with someone who understands the intricacies of forensics. So…long story short…we got nothing."
"Nothing?" Danny asked
"We have two sets of fingerprints, but I am pretty sure that one belongs to the floral shop owner because the second belongs to an eighty two year old woman who had a drunk driving record. I can only assume that she is the one that delivered the bottle of cognac." Vivian continued.
"Yeah, the floral shop owner told us that an elder lady dropped off the box to be delivered with the roses." Danny said as he pulled a chair up to sit next to Vivian. "But why the roses and the cognac?"
"I'm assuming it's an homage to the Poe toaster who every year left three roses and a bottle of cognac at Poe's grave on his birthday" Jane mused as she thought about the significance of the three roses.
"It's a strange thing to do…" Danny reached across the counter to take the bottle of beer that Maura silently offered.
"I think it's just a way to let Maura know how close he can get to her…" Jane bit down on her bottom lip as she thought about it. It turned her stomach inside out to think that some freak could get as close as he had.
"Games…it's all about the games." Vivian chimed in.
Jane listened intently as Vivian and Danny went back and forth with their thoughts and theories but she suddenly realized that there was one person who had yet to say anything. She felt a pain in her chest when she looked over at Maura as she leaned against the sink watching everyone. The sad look in the hazel-green eyes had Jane moving from her seat to stand next to Maura. Ignoring the fact that they weren't alone, Jane wrapped her arms around Maura and pulled her close in a hug.
"Promise me that everything will be okay." Maura whispered against Jane's ear.
"I won't make a promise I can't keep…but I will promise to do everything in my power to keep you safe." Jane said as she brought her hand up to cup Maura's cheek. As she looked down into Maura's eyes so filled with sadness and uncertainty she couldn't stop herself from bowing her head to place a soft kiss on Maura's lips. She didn't care who saw and with that realization Jane made the decision that it was time to follow her heart.
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