A/N: I got a little carried away with this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!
"Okay…this is officially a dump." Jane sighed as she looked around the small apartment. The soft cream paint on the walls were peeling down in multiple places, the floor had wholes on it and Jane was sure she had seen a rat as soon as they entered the apartment. It had been a month since her talk with Katherine and Maura and she had been apartment hunting ever since, but so far none had spoken to her. She wanted something simple and cozy, with an extra room for Katherine, if the girl ever wanted to spend the night - and if Maura allowed, that was. It had to be close to work and it had to be rather cheap, since she lived off a cop's wage. The hunt had been quite frustrating and Jane was starting to lose her patience.
The light in the kitchen started blinking rapidly, making Jane shift her attention towards the offending object. She moved towards the open spaced room, not sure if she could call it an actual kitchen. She wondered who the hell the previous owner was to have left the apartment in such a state. The lanky woman approached the countertop in the far end but instantly regretted it as her eyes fell upon a green substance she couldn't quite identify. Jane shuddered as she thought of what that might be, leaving it behind before it could attack her.
Jane made a bee line to the window and took in the view. The neighborhood in which the apartment was located wasn't entirely bad nor was it a good one. She knew that a few shady business took place not far from the building, but she was afraid that that would be the only place she could afford. The brunette sighed, observing a family playing across the street. That scene made her think of her own family and hoped that one day they'd manage to be glue enough pieces back together to do those domestic activities. The idea of taking Katherine to her college dorm and help Maura decorate it suddenly came rushing in her mind, filling her heart with a sense of hope she couldn't quite comprehend.
"Yeah…you can't live here." Jane heard a male voice coming from somewhere behind her. She chuckled, her eyes still following the small family. Korsak wrinkled his nose at the weird smell that suddenly filled his nostrils as he walked into the rather large bedroom. It was disproportionate to the rest of the apartment and in spite of the smell, it was by far the cleanest room. He had been more than happy letting Jane stay at his guest room, but he too agreed that it was time for the brunette to have a place of her own where she could be more comfortable. He could tell that she was holding back, knowing that she was trying her best to not leave her mess behind and be a good guest. He chuckled at his friend's disgusted snort and walked back to the living room. "This should be illegal."
"Tell me about it…this is just beyond gross." She sighed, running a hand at her wild mane. "At this point I wonder if I'll ever find a place." She looked tired and defeated as she finally diverted her gaze from the dusty window in front of her. It had been so easy finding her old apartment - perhaps because of her mother's insistence to help out - and then moving to Maura's house was without a doubt, way easier. The dark haired detective couldn't fathom how there were people who did this as a job and actually enjoyed doing it. She considered sitting down on the floor for a minute before the image of a furry little ball scurrying away invaded her mind, making her fidget. "Can we please leave? This place is giving me the creeps." Slender fingers ran through tangles dark locks. "Besides, we still have one last apartment on the list and I'd really like to get this over with today."
As they made their way back down the stairs they came face to face to what they assumed was a couple fighting in the hallway. Jane was suddenly hit with a bad feeling about the guy who was a mass of muscles adorned with multiple tattoos, three times her size and looking at the woman in front of him like he was about to chew off her head. "You're not on the job, Jane, you're not on the job." She muttered to herself, trying to stay calm. But she couldn't control herself as the grip on the woman's forearm got even stronger and a loud scream fell from her lips. Jane ran down the remaining steps before Korsak could grab her, coming to a halt next to couple. "What's going on here?" She eyed the bald tattooed guy with a scowl. "Are you okay?" Jane turned to the woman, seeing nothing but fear reflected on big hazel eyes that immediately reminded her of Katherine's and perhaps that made the detective even angrier to have found her in that situation.
"What's happening here doesn't concern you, bitch." The guy mirrored Jane's scowl, tugging on the young girl's arm which earned him another whimper. He rolled his eyes, telling the girl to shut up and get back into the apartment before he did something they would both regret later on. The girl turned her gaze towards Jane, asking her for help without actually saying the words.
"Okay, that's enough." Jane said, disregarding everything Korsak was whispering to her. They didn't have their badges on them or their guns for that matter. They were off the job and never thought that they would run into trouble or that Jane would actually try to get involved. It was risky, she knew nothing about the guy nor the relationship that he had with that young girl. But she did know that something was terrible wrong and her mind kept going back to Katherine and she just couldn't walk away. "Let go of her arm, right now."
"Yeah? Fine." As soon as those words fell from his lips, the detective saw a fist coming her way and suddenly everything was a blur. Jane was immediately on the floor, back down, clutching her nose as a sharp pain shot through her body. A metallic odor suddenly filled the air around her as well as a strong taste of copper on her lips and she instantly knew that her nose was bleeding. She muttered various profanities under her her breath, slowly coming to a sitting position. Her head hurt from the impact and she wondered if that was the reason the hallway was spinning.
The detective's gaze met familiar soft blue greenish eyes and she attempted to grin only to wince when another sharp pain took over. She sighed, taking in the scene that had unfolded in front of her. Korsak had the bald guy pinned to the floor, his knee firmly placed between the attacker's shoulder blades. The older detective had a smug look on his face but shook his head disapprovingly once he noticed his friend. "Are you happy, Rizzoli? Now we have to stop at the precinct to arraign this prick. And probably head over to the hospital to have that fixed."
"I'm not going to a hospital and you can't make me. I'll call Maura on the way to the precinct, she'll know what to do. I'm going to see that last apartment even if it's the last thing I do." She chuckled softly as she got up, following Korsak down the last flight of stairs. The girl was nowhere to be seen and Jane couldn't decide if she was relieved or even more worried.
"Y'a know, that stubborn head of yours will be your downfall." He said as he opened the glass door of the building, making his way to his grey car. Jane had a difficult personality and wasn't easily tamed, if ever. She did what she wanted, when she wanted it without any regards for the consequences that her actions would entail. It had gotten her in trouble many times before and Korsak was sure that it would get her in even more trouble as time went by. He had covered for her on countless occasions, even lied to save her ass from their captain, but he never held it against her and he knew damn well that he would do it all over again in a heartbeat and would continue doing so until she decided to retired. He just hoped that she wouldn't want to keep working after that, like he did.
The ride to the precinct was rather fast, something that both Korsak and Jane were grateful for, even though Carl - as they soon found out was the attacker's name - complained and threaten them all the way. They stopped right in front of the precinct and Korsak called Frost, asking him to come to the car with cuffs. Both detectives still didn't know how they managed to get the huge guy to the back seat without a pair of the metallic bracelets and they just didn't want to risk not being able to control him again.
The pain in Jane's nose had finally subsided to an annoying throb by the time they finished putting the guy in one of the cells at the far end of the precinct. Maybe is not as bad as you think. She thought to herself as she made her way towards her messy desk. She had finally convinced Cavanaugh Jr. to give her old job back but she still hadn't found the time to clean her stuff and organize her desk. If she was honest to herself, she didn't really want to do it.
"Watcha doin'?" Korsak said from across the room as the lanky brunette spun in her chair. She came to a halt, blowing on a stubborn lock of hair fell on her face, covering one of her chocolate orbs. The older man chuckled lightly, taking off his glasses.
"Nothin'… Just waiting for Maura, I guess." Jane had called the blonde doctor from the car, telling her what had happened between her and the bald guy. She had heard a short lecture on safety before Maura agreed to stop by and she knew that the long version was reserved for when she finally got there. Jane was deadly afraid of hospitals, maybe because she almost died twice due to wounds she got while on the job. She was sure that her luck would eventually end and that she would get in but wouldn't get out. Dark locks fell on her face again when she shook her head, stuffing those thoughts far back in her brain. Maura was going to fix it so there was no reason to worry.
…
"Jane…can you please stay still?" Maura sighed as she tried once again to clean the dried blood on the brunette's nose. She had been trying, to no avail, for the past fifteen minutes. Every time the blonde got the small cotton ball close to Jane's face, the detective would flinch and back away from her. It was as if she was tending the wound of a five year old child. "I won't be able to make it better if you keep moving around."
"It's going to hurt, I know it." Jane narrowed her whiskey brown eyes earning the quirking of a perfectly defined blonde brow. She could still remember the last time Maura fixed her nose and the scream that fell from the slim lips that made every one at the crime scene look at her funny. It had hurt like a bitch and she didn't know if she was ready to feel that pain again. "Idunwanna."
"Pardon?"
"I don't wanna…" The detective pouted. She knew she was being childish and pretty much a wuss but she just couldn't help her. Jane's resistance to pain was not very big and she tended to be overly dramatic even when she got nothing more than a paper cut.
"Do you honestly want to have a nose like Mike Tyson's for the rest of your life?" Maura tried to look stern but a sparkle in her hazel eyes told Jane she was just being playful. The doctor remembered how Jane acted towards pain and put her brain in gear to figure out a way to make her relax. The brunette's pout got even bigger as she let a faint 'no' fall off her lips. "That's what I thought… Do you want to hold my hand as I clean it?" Maura chuckled as Jane nodded fiercely. "Just refrain from breaking my metacarpal bones, please."
As soon as her hand came into contact with Maura's, her whole body relaxed significantly. That had always amazed Jane, the fact that the blonde could calm her with a simple touch, of a kiss to the temple or simply by being around her and engulfing her in her sweet scent. She had missed that connection, that proximity.
Maura had a concentration look adorning her delicate features as she finally managed to clean away the blood. Her brows were slightly furrowed, her lower lip tugged tightly between her teeth, her eyes never leaving Jane's nose. Jane flinched a bit when the distilled water contacted her skin but forced herself not to move, since she didn't want to pull Maura out of the trance she seemed to be in. It was simply adorable and soon Jane found herself smiling the more she stared at the blonde in front of her.
"A quarter for your thoughts?" Maura asked, her gaze diverting only for a second as she gathered more liquid on a new cotton ball.
"Penny, Maura." Jane smile grew wider at the blonde's confusion. Maura's confusion with simple English idioms was something she had always loved. And no matter how many times she had corrected her, the blonde would only repeat the mistakes after some time. It was dorky, but it sure was cute in the brunettes eyes. "I was just thinking how adorable you look when you get into your doctor's mode." She smiled sheepishly once she noticed that Maura was taken aback by her comment. The brunette didn't mean to make the other woman uncomfortable and part of her wish she could take the comment back.
Not long after their first talk, Jane had promised herself that she would be honest with Maura, even with the smallest of things. Too many lies had made their way into the relationship they once shared and she wouldn't have it anymore, not when she planned on doing everything in her power to get her family back. That part of her was happy that she was keeping her promise as she answered what Maura had asked.
"Oh, I-" Maura didn't even know how to respond to that. A compliment was the last thing she expected to hear in that moment, she was sure not ready for that. As she hadn't been ready the other times she found herself in the same situation over these past two months. The blonde still hadn't wrapped her mind around the fact that Jane was back and that she and Katherine had decided that they would try to get close to the brunette again. Baby steps. Her daughter had said during their conversation. She was so willing, for some odd reason she still couldn't fathom. If it had been anyone else she was sure she wouldn't want to look at them for the rest of their lives. But this was Jane, her Jane, and she just couldn't walk away without giving it a chance. Maybe everything did happen for a reason. And as much as she wanted to let go of everything that held her back, she forced herself to wait. She had to be sure she wouldn't get hurt again and most importantly, that Katherine wouldn't either. "Thank you."
"Uh…don't mention it." Jane coughed lightly, swallowing the sudden lump that formed in her throat. "Where's…uh…Where's Kate?" She asked, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.
"She's at her friend Ruby's for the weekend." Maura discarded another cotton ball and closed the first aid kit once she was satisfied with the lack of blood on Jane's face. "They do this often, usually alternating between our houses. Sometimes I feel like I have two daughters." She laugh, shaking her head as the image of her in the between the two teenagers on the couch of her house as they watched a movie invaded her mind. Her hazel eyes met whiskey brown ones once again and she smiled. "Anyways, it's time."
"Time for what?"
"I need to put your nose back in place, Jane."
"Nuh uh, no way." Jane held her hands protectively over her face and there she was acting like a child once again. Everything Maura had done up until now was make way to this moment and she knew that perfectly well. "Can't we just let it be and see if it goes back on its own?"
"You know that's not how it works, Jane. I promise I'll be quick and you won't feel much pain. But I do need to do it now before it swells more that it already has." Maura huffed once again as Jane backed away from her.
"On one condition."
"What would that be?" Maura quirked her brow.
"You'll have to come with me to check the last apartment on my list and grab dinner with me afterwards." Maura was again taken aback by the brunette's comment. She pondered over the idea of being alone, alone, with Jane for the next couple of hours. It was just an apartment tour and dinner. It was harmless, wasn't it? "Uh-" Jane swallowed hard at the lack of response from the blonde. "Unless you already have plans. It's okay if you do, I mean… of course I would appreciate the company and I am getting a bit hungry. But you don't hav-"
"Jane, breathe." The blonde chuckled. "I'll go with you." She said, deciding to throw caution to the wind. "But you have to let me fix your nose first." When Jane finally nodded, Maura got closer, shifting until she found the perfect position in between Jane's legs. The point of her fingers tentatively traced the sides of the brunette's nose. She then placed them firmly on either side and a sharp pain shot through Jane for the hundredth time that day, making her whimper softly. "Ready?" Maura didn't even wait for an answer before forcing the bones back to place with a loud pop.
"FUCK ME!" Jane shouted various profanities in a row, getting the attention of some os Maura's assistants and kicking the blonde's chair in the process. That definitely hurt worse than a bitch if that made any sense. Was is worse than the first time? She couldn't tell. All she knew was that she hoped with every fiber of her being that this would be the last time her nose got broken.
"Gladly." Maura muttered under her breath as she bent down to retrieve the first aid kit that had flew from her lap after Jane's foot impacted on her chair. The brunette's head shot up suddenly and she was surprised that it didn't give her whiplash. She couldn't have heard it correctly, right? The pain was suddenly forgotten as brown eyes searched bright green eyes. When they finally met, Jane was to one to quirk a brow.
"What was that?"
"I, uh…" A crimson red started spreading from Maura's milky chest to her cheeks and she felt the sudden need to look anywhere but at Jane. She fidgeted on the chair until she just got up, turn around and left to put the medical kit away. The doctor knew that she couldn't lie. After all these years she would still break out in hives if that was to happen and she knew that Jane was aware of that fact and would question her even more. Leaving sounded the most logical action to take at that moment.
Observing Maura closely, Jane could tell that she was nervous and she concluded that she must have heard her correctly indeed. Maura had always been incredibly forward when it came to sex and dirty talking had become her specialty, even though she had had trouble with it when they first started dating. The lanky detective just chuckled and decided that the would press it any further when the blonde came back a few minutes later.
"Anytime…" Jane all but whispered and by the way Maura's eyes widened, she knew she had been heard. The corners of the brunette's lip tugged, forming a smirk. She opted not to say anything else and walked towards the door, holding it open. "We should get going or we won't be able to see the apartment today." She turned around, making a bee line to the elevators without waiting to see if Maura was coming, but the distinct click of heels told her that she was indeed being followed.
…
"I'll have the cheeseburger with the side of fries and a diet coke, please." Jane handed her menu back to the young waiter and wrinkled her nose as Maura did the same after ordering a Cobb salad and some sparkling water. The blond doctor was the healthiest person she had ever met in her 42 years of life. She drank the correct amount of water - according to the Mayo Clinic-, she went to the gym every single day and her meals consisted of only salads and different kinds of vegetables and fruits. Her body was definitely the proof of all her hard work, even though she had a perfectly flat stomach, she had the perfect amount of curves in the right places. Jane often thought of her as a goddess. "You do know that you don't need that, right?"
"Pardon?"
"You already have the perfect body, I mean…have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? You can cut some slack from time to time, y'a know… Like eat a burger or a pizza, just once in a while, I bet you won't regret it 'so terribly'." She shrugged, intertwining her fingers on the table.
"Not all of us were born with your metabolism, Jane. I do need to maintain a balanced diet in order to keep my 'already perfect body'. It's not as easy as it seems." Maura thanked the young waiter who had just brought their drinks over and proceeded to take a sip of her sparkling water. Talking about her body was something she had always hated. No matter how much work she put into it, she was never satisfied enough. She always told herself she could do better, she could look better. Maybe it was because she had always heard that from her own mother, she didn't quite know. "Anyways, we should celebrate." Maura held her cup high. "Here's to you finally finding your apartment." She clinked her glass on Jane's.
"Ah, I still can't believe I found it, and at that price! I was already losing hope and, since we're being honest, my patience." The both of them chuckled, knowing all too well that that was true. The apartment was exactly what Jane had been looking for. It was in a good neighborhood, close to both the precinct and Maura's own house. The kitchen merged into the living room, crating one open spaced room, with a view of a lovely park across de street. The two rooms were rather small, but cozy at the same time and Jane pictured herself being comfy in hers almost instantly. And Maura had smiled brightly once the brunette told her what she intended to do with the spare bedroom. The apartment needed a little work, but nothing Jane wouldn't be able to do on her own during the weekends and on her days off.
"It's perfect, Jane."
"It really is." Jane's smile could light up the entire city of Boston at that moment. She hadn't been happy in a very long time and she felt as if everything was slowly coming back together. She just hoped that that happiness would finally last.
"Here's your burger." The waiter said putting the plate in from of Jane as well as a refill for her coke. "And here's your salad. Would you like anything else?" Both women thanked him and said that they were fine for the time being. As soon as the waiter left, Jane started cutting her burger in half. Her brows furrowed a bit as she concentrated to cut a straight line.
"What are you doing?" Maura asked between bites of her Cobb salad, which was divine by her own standards. The Dirty Robber had become somewhat a second home for her even though she had little to nothing in common with such a place. She started going with Frost to let off some steam and she slowly began to warm up to the place. After a while, though, she realized that the main reason why she loved that place was because it reminded her of Jane.
"I'm giving you half of my burger." Jane looked up to meet surprised hazel orbs. She had this idea as soon as Maura dismissed her comment about her looks. The brunette suddenly remembered all the times they had bickered over this particular subject and she laughed. It was so strange how it seemed as if no time had passed. "I won't accept no for an answer. And..!" She said as she lifted her knife a little bit higher that intended. "I'll even eat some of your stupid salad."
Maura pretended to think for a moment or two before nodding her head as she said "Deal."
The rest of the night went by in a blur. They ate their shared meals with pleasure and Jane even convinced the blonde to share a slice of strawberry cheesecake with her. They laughed until they had tears in their eyes and their stomachs hurt. They were light hearted and if they dared say, happy. They had been kicked out of the Dirty Robber and they had been so close to protesting before they realized they were the last ones. The two women were now standing just outside of Maura's car, enjoying the late night breeze, not taking their eyes off each other. Jane was the first to pop the bubble as a chill ran through her body. "Thanks, y'a know… for everything today. I had a pretty good day." She rocked on her heels as she stuffed her hands in her jeans pockets.
Maura absentmindedly shifted towards Jane. She didn't know why, perhaps it was because of the heat she could feel radiating from the tall brunette and she was starting to feel a bit cold. Or perhaps she was giving in, slowly, to her desires. The scent of her lavender shampoo and something else she couldn't quite place suddenly filled the blonde's nostrils and she hummed in appreciation. "You're very welcome. I must say that I did have quite a bit of fun. More than I expected." She smiled and Jane felt her heart melted.
Jane's gaze flickered to soft pink lips before returning to the hazel solace of Maura's eyes. God, I want to kiss her. But she knew she couldn't, not yet at least. The detective wanted to do everything right this time, and that meant slowing things down for Maura's sake. She knew the blonde doctor had been through so much, mainly because of her, and she didn't want to force anything. When you have a connection with someone, it never really goes away. The brunette closed her eyes briefly, going over those words, hoping they would prove to be correct.
Maura noticed the shift in the woman in front of her, observing closely as a multitude of emotions swan in chocolate pools. What would she give to kiss those pale lips that once had been so familiar to hers, to run her fingers through her wild mane that she knew was so soft. She had missed the contact of her slender fingers, the warm breath of Jane's mouth, the embrace of strong protecting arms. The blonde doctor forced herself out of the trance she suddenly found herself in. She wasn't ready and he knew that it would still take her some time to get there.
"I should go." Maura said softly, knowing all too well that if she stayed any longer she would end up giving up to her irrational heart.
"Of course…I should too." Jane said as she opened the car door for Maura to get in. The blonde thanked her, lowering the window in order to say goodbye to Jane once again, not really wanting to leave. Jane chuckled as she leaned forward, planting a small kiss on Maura's milky cheek, not wanting the night to end either. "Goodnight, Maur." The lanky brunette shoved her hands in the pockets of her faded blue jeans as she watched Maura drive away in her Prius. She sighed deeply, deciding to take a walk to Korsak's apartment to distract herself instead of just calling an uber. Baby steps. Jane remembered Kate's words. Baby steps.
Please don't forget to review, your opinion is very important to me and to the course of this story.
