Chapter eleven

The last officers rushed downstairs and Jane suddenly faced the emptiness of the open space. Within a second, an odd quietness spread over the large room; the soft murmur of the computers rocking her in the background.

She had started the injections three days before and if everything had gone smoothly until now, today was the first time she had had to renounce to a police call. If she wanted to give the maximum of chances to the IVF, she had to respect a very strict schedule. Going out with the team would have been tough – this time – to conciliate with her next injection. As much as Maura had taught her how to do it, she still needed a clean environment.

The back of a car wasn't one.

Trying to compensate the slight frustration that was kicking in, Jane stood up and approached the wall where a few photos had been pined up. Very soon, she had to lean against the closest desk to rest her legs.

Side-effects had begun to appear as well, earlier in the morning. She was slightly nauseous and tired as if she had just run a marathon. Nothing alarming, though. She knew that it would happen; and that it wouldn't last either.

Her eyes stopped on a particularly bloody scene. The photo had been taken in an elegant house of some wealthy Boston suburb. A woman in her fifties had been found dead in the opulent living-room, ripped apart; her blood recovering the walls, its red contrasting with the pure whiteness of the paint.

Jane had seen these images so many times already that they were now engraved in her head. The slightest detail, the shock of horror in the victim's eyes.

The incongruous portrait of a happy family hung on the wall, in the background.

For the moment, the brunette refused to give in and stick to paperwork. A case was going on and a full team needed her. Even if this time she hadn't gone with them, she still could help; with some distance, thanks to the research done at the BPD and her sense of observation.

"What are you doing, here, Rizzoli? Everyone left. Shouldn't you be with your team?"

Cavanaugh's voice in her back made her jump. Shaking, she turned around and looked at her boss. She hadn't told anyone yet at work, preferring to wait and see whether the IVF would turn positive. Maura respected her choice. As a matter of fact, they had agreed on it rather quickly. Except now, she had to give an explanation to the reason why she had remained at the office.

Twisting her hands nervously, Jane looked on her side – subconsciously hoping for an escape – before swallowing hard. All of a sudden, a wave of hot air slid down her spine as her heart sped up its pace.

"Excuse me!"

Hand on her mouth, the brunette hurried out of the open space only to rush to the bathroom; leaving a perplexed Cavanaugh behind.

Cool water embraced her face, sliding on her cheeks; disappearing on her neck. Leaned against the sink, Jane slowly looked up in the mirror. She was livid, her eyes red and puffy. The door opened on her left, her boss appeared.

"Take the day off if you don't feel well. It's okay. You... You look very pale. I need my units to be 100% fine to give the best of themselves."

Her cell phone beeped. With shaking hands, she grabbed it and stopped the alarm before taking out of her pocket the injection kit. Staring at the small box she was holding tightly, Jane shook her head.

"It's not a virus, don't be worried. It's..."

She passed her tongue over her lips and turned around to lock her eyes with Cavanaugh's.

"We're going for an IVF."

…

The amount of books and essays opened on the coffee table oddly reminded her of college and the long nights she used to spend studying; alone in her dorm room. Taking a sip of her tea, Maura scanned the space in front of her; all these pages, these anatomical figures and Latin names were going to her head bewitchingly. She had always loved studying and even if it now brought a new source of stress added to her job, it was still a pleasure for her to read new scientific articles.

Laid down on the couch behind her, Jane watched basketball on television; her hand caressing Maura's hair absentmindedly.

"And what did he say?"

The honey blonde's voice resounded peacefully in the living-room, echoing Jane's explanation over the way she had announced to Cavanaugh that she was getting hormonal injections. Maura had come back home very late – stuck at the morgue for a last-minute request from the senator. The detective had had dinner alone yet was now enjoying the scientist's presence by her side. They hadn't seen each other a lot during the day. And ridiculously enough, she had missed Maura.

"He hopes we will have a girl so it will calm me down."

Maura giggled and chewed on the sandwich the brunette had prepared for her. Passing a hand on her nape, she leaned her head backwards and sighed loudly. She was tired and a huge planning was waiting for her.

Soon, she would receive a dozen of medical examiners from all over the country for a few of months. They would follow her actions at the morgue – the lab work – and her meticulousness pushed her to prepare the whole thing with a stressful perfectionism.

"Have a break, Maur'. I don't want to have and visit you at the hospital within the next few days 'cause you will have suffer from exhaustion."

Reluctantly, the honey blonde turned around and mug of tea in hand looked up at Jane. Her soft hand slid on her partner's; caressing the palm, the scars left on it by Hoyt. The gesture made the brunette slightly shiver but she didn't push Maura away and let her do.

"Are you still nauseous?"

Jane shook her head, a smile on her lips. The rest of the day had gone smoothly. Unless she was just getting used to it. Quietly, she looked how Maura brought her hand to her lips and planted a light kiss there while staring at her intently.

"How... How are you feeling?"

The honey blonde's question owned a nuance of timidity, as if she had barely dared to allude to it; even if her curiosity was picked.

After all, Maura would never get to know how it felt. She would never get hormonal injections; would never go for an IVF. Jane shrugged.

"It's like suffering from PMS only bigger. Also, I'm putting on weight."

Maura stifled her laugh by biting her lower lip but Jane nodded vehemently.

"I swear I am! My hips don't fit in my pants as they used to. I'm saddened to tell you that but you might spend the rest of your life with a whale, Maura."

The blonde sat up on her knees to be at the same level as her partner then leaned over to capture Jane's lips in a soft kiss; her thumb caressing the brunette's jawline along. As she broke apart, Maura locked her eyes with Jane's dark ones.

"Hmm... Then I will have no choice but to call you "my little Moby-Dick"..."