Chapter Twelve
The medication coursing through Jane's veins had managed to curb the pain in her shoulder to a dull, pulsing ache, but it did little to silence the constant buzz in her brain, as if leftover adrenaline had yet to seep its way out of her body. She wanted to be alert, on guard, even as her eyelids drooped with exhaustion. Sleeping in an actual bed at West Massachusetts General had been only a tad more comfortable than sleeping on one of its industrial couches, its mattress soft and droopy in all the wrong places. Her thwarted sleep had resulted in her being more than a little grumpy with Rhonda that morning, and it was only Maura's calming hand on her own that kept a polite smile on her face as her discharge papers finally came through.
Now she followed Maura toward the elevator, both of them in matching sets of scrubs that Rhonda had salvaged for them, tossing their ruined, ash-strewn clothes in the hospital garbage bin. Even Maura hadn't put up a fight as her couture saw its way into the trash, which meant she was either eager to get home or eager to dispose of any reminders of their nightmare. Jane imagined it was a little of both.
"At the risk of sounding like a broken record," she said, hugging her arm to her waist, trying to allow it to hang limply in her newly fitted sling, "I am so ready to be going home."
Maura glanced back at her, a corrective twitch in her eye. "Technically, that would be more like a scratched record," she remarked. "You're repeating yourself."
"Maur, that expression has withstood the test of time," Jane said with a grin. "Even you can't change it."
"If you feel like a scratched record," Maura began, emphasizing her point once again, "I bet Tommy feels like a rail conductor. He's been repeating the route to this hospital probably more than he'd like."
"Rail conductor?" Jane scoffed, shaking her head at the failed analogy. "It's the least he can do. Frankie's working, Ma's a nervous wreck."
"It's still nice of him."
Jane heard Rhonda's unmistakable padded footsteps, her sneakers squelching along the tiled hallway. "Detective, I got you an extra sling," she said, handing it over, darting a colluding eye around her. "Don't you tell anyone you got it from me."
"Why, is it contraband?" Jane asked, grinning as she raised a stealthy eyebrow, but her teasing pulled a small smile only from Maura.
"Might as well be," the large nurse deadpanned.
"Thank you, Rhonda, I'm sure that will come in handy," Maura said politely, punching the elevator button with the tip of her crutch. The move put a smile on her lips, prompting an eye roll from Jane, which only made her smile that much wider.
Rhonda leaned back, crossing her arms over her healthy chest, and gauged them with a discerning look. "You two make quite a pair, if you ask me," she said, eyeing their injuries, a sort of yin and yang of broken limbs. "But - " Before she could finish off her usual declaration, Maura leaned into her with a curious, questioning eye.
"Do you really think we make a good pair?" she asked, darting a satisfied glance between her and Jane.
Rhonda's lips parted, her tone slightly suspicious. "You asking me?"
Maura nodded earnestly. "Yes."
Jane laughed, raising two eyebrows at Rhonda as the nurse grinned, baring a row of low, white teeth. Rather than answer, she simply turned, giving them a wave behind her head. "You two take care now."
Maura watched her go, confusion flickering across her forehead. "Does she not think we make a good pair?" she asked as the elevator door dinged.
Jane glanced down at her before rolling her eyes. "Get on the elevator, Maur," she replied, guiding her into the silvery, sterile cavern, a smile plastered across her lips. Maura shook her head one last time before allowing Jane to usher her inside, where she stood for a moment, still contemplating the Rhonda's lackluster response. Jane waited patiently for her to press the elevator button, sighing heavily, until she finally got her attention.
"Oh!" Maura exclaimed, reaching forward and quickly punching the button, settling her crutch back beside her. "Momentary neuron-synapse lapse, sorry."
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Jane asked, rocking on the heels of her feet as she waited for the elevator to ding them out into the lobby. She wanted nothing more than to be back in the city, as far away as possible from the hospital that now held such anxiety-fueled memories. As they made their way down to the turnabout, slowly but steadily, she saw Tommy's car idling, her brother leaning against the side of it. He smiled, striding widely towards them and reaching a hand out a steadying.
"Jesus," he said. "Twice in one week. I haven't been to the sticks this much in my entire life."
"Well, you know, I felt a little left out," Jane said with a smirk. "Maura got those cool crutches and all. I had to even the playing field."
Tommy opened up the backseat for Maura, brushing a few errant items into the floorboard. "Your chariot awaits."
Jane rolled her eyes at his corniness, but she felt the smaller woman balk against her, backing slightly into her chest and causing her to cringe lightly at the jostle of her arm. "I don't think I want to take the backseat," Maura said urgently, her voice teetering on the edge of an unseen panic. She wasn't sure she ever wanted to see the backseat of a car again, already feeling the prickling sensation of fear inching up her spine.
Jane quickly placed a calming hand against the small of her back, guiding her to the front instead. "No problem, Maur, you take shotgun," she offered, but grimaced at her choice of words.
"Nicely put," Maura replied, but she attempted a small smile, which helped to calm her own burgeoning nerves.
"Fair warning," Tommy said, glancing down at Maura as he helped her inside the car. "Ma's already at your place."
Jane frowned. "Of course she is. Doesn't she know the last thing we need is her hustling and bustling all over the house?"
"She's been baking all morning," Tommy clarified.
Jane gave a relinquishing nod, changing her tune. "Well, alright, then. That I can handle." She slipped into the back, settling into her seat. "It will also give me a chance to ask her what the hell she was doing at the warehouse. What was Frankie thinking, bringing her there?"
"Go easy on him," Tommy said, meeting her eyes in the rearview mirror. "He did a hell of a good job, considering… you know… our big sister had disappeared." He glanced down at Maura. "We were all pretty damn worried about both of you." He turned back to Jane. "I haven't seen Ma that unhinged since you broke your arm during that ice skating competition."
Jane caught Maura's piqued attention, and quickly tried to stop her brother. "Yeah, yeah," she said, casually waving her hand. "How about you just drive - "
"Remember, me and Frankie said it was because your skates were the size of water-skis." He chuckled, even after twenty years still more than pleased with his own wit. Jane narrowed an eye at him as Maura stifled a grin.
"How about I put one of these water-skis up your - "
"Jane," Maura chastised, glancing back at her and choosing to distract her with unsolicited trivia. "You should feel no shame whatsoever regarding the size of your feet." She smiled. "You know what they say about women with large feet."
"No, I'm afraid I don't," Jane said tentatively. "And I'm afraid I don't want to know."
"I want to know," Tommy cut in, grinning.
"Their calves always appear smaller," Maura finished, raising an eyebrow at both of them before settling back into her seat, shaking her head.
"Anyway," Jane continued, pressing forward. "Ma can be a tornado at times, I know that better than anyone, but Frankie's going to have to learn to curb his mama's boy impulses." Her mother could be formidable, but her stubbornness could eventually be overcome, at least when it came to the job. It was practically the only time Jane could get her way, when she used work as a justification. She cringed as they hit a small dip in the road, and leaned forward, flicking Tommy on his ear. "Lay off the bumps, Tommy, my arm hurts."
He cringed. "Well, now my ear hurts."
"Just slow down."
"Forgot I was driving Miss Daisy," he tossed back at her.
Jane was half grateful for his banter, but the other half of her was still pissed at him for no particular reason other than he was her brother. "I don't care how long it takes to get home, you hit one more pothole and I will definitely be shoving these water-skis of mine up your - "
"Jane," Maura scolded again, leaning forward and pressing the dial to the radio, hoping to silence the two of them. A loud, blaring bass rattled the speakers around her, startling her, and she grimaced, quickly punching another button. "I'm sure they can pick up NPR around here."
Jane and Tommy both looked at her, their expressions clearly relating the fact that neither of them was particularly fond of the blonde's radio selection. Maura looked up at them both in turn. "Or, maybe the two of you can be civilized and we can manage some adult conversation for the rest of the drive?"
Jane met Tommy's eyes, and the two shrugged, speaking simultaneously. "NPR's fine." Jane leaned back, letting her eyes gaze unfocused out the window, until the small, nameless towns lulled her into a half-meditative state, finally quieting her mind. They eventually making their way to the highway, the trappings of civilization finally calling back to her, almost pricking her nerves as they got closer to Beacon Hill.
Jane bristled as they coursed down Maura's street, recalling the last time she had made this particular journey, and she leaned forward, pressing a hand against the medical examiner's shoulder. It was a move meant to calm her, but on some level it did more to settle Jane's own anxiety. "Ready for the welcome brigade?" she asked lightly, but she felt Maura's muscles tense as they pulled into the driveway.
It appeared as it always had, well landscaped, quiet, and serene, as if no act of violence could have ever punctured its tranquility. Fortunately, neither of them had much time to flash back to the day before, as Angela was already bustling out of the house towards them, an apron wrapped around her, arms flailing in nervous waves. As Tommy helped Maura out of the front seat, Angela rushed to the back, fumbling over Jane's good arm as she tried to assist her. "Ma, Ma!" Jane called, slapping her hands lightly away. "I have two good legs, remember?"
Angela nodded, giving her some space, but her eyes still flickered with concern as she watched Jane amble toward the house, taking a moment to look around her. A few flowers had been trampled, probably by crime techs, but otherwise, everything was back to normal. Either way, Jane made a mental note to have the locks on Maura's door strengthened and a few more security lights installed; the last time she had been so spooked had been the encounter with Hoyt over a year ago.
"Jane!"
For once she was grateful for her mother's voice as it called to her from the house, pulling her out of a deep well of thought in which she didn't want to dive into just yet. She moved cautiously inside, locking the door behind her. Tommy was already helping Maura settle onto the couch, propping her foot on the table, but this time he looked up at Jane, motioning for her to take the cushion next to her. Jane nodded at him, tacitly appreciating the gesture. Maybe Tommy was alright, after all.
Angela scooted over to them, settling herself on the edge of the chair next to the couch, staring at the two of them as if they would disappear at any given moment. "Oh," she said, clapping her hands on her thighs. "Your phones are still in evidence, but Maura, I spoke with your mother again this morning. She and your father are coming by."
Maura's eyes widened. "What?" she asked slowly, a quiet unease flooding her eyes. Jane caught the sudden cloud that flitted across her face, but said nothing.
It couldn't have been the reaction Angela was anticipating, but she continued tentatively. "They've been calling all morning. They just want to make sure you're all right."
Jane glanced from her mother back to Maura, her panic almost palpable, as if seeping out into the rest of the house and instilling it with a sudden coldness. "Maur - " she began, but was cut off by sudden movement.
"This place is a wreck," Maura moaned, reaching for her crutches and pulling herself to her feet. "I can't have them see it like this. I haven't had it professionally cleaned in over a month."
Angela glanced around at the pristine surroundings before looking back at Jane, tacitly requesting some help. "Maura, sweetheart, I don't think they care about the state of your house. Which looks perfect, by the way. I think they're more concerned about you."
Maura absently shook her head, her brain already calculating the myriad invisible balls of dust that littered her shelves, the drapes, the mantle, all the places where a mother as particular as hers would know to look. "No," she said, putting a hand to her temple and changing course toward the kitchen. "I need to prepare something. My father likes Roobis tea, but I don't think I have any." She shrugged off Jane's touch against her waist. "Do I have any camembert?" she muttered, making her way out of the living room.
Jane glanced at Angela, who gave her an apologetic shrug. "I didn't know what else to say," she whispered. "They're her parents, what was I supposed to tell them? Don't come see your daughter?"
Jane put a sympathetic hand on her Angela's knee, unable to offer any harsh words. If anyone was in a position to understand what state Maura's parents were in, it was her mother. "Don't worry, Ma, She just gets a little nervous."
They both turned as a cabinet clattered shut, boxes of tea tumbling onto the counter as Maura frantically tried to control them. "Why do I have so many teas!" she cried, foraging through them.
Jane knew better than to chuckle, although any other time the scene would have been comical. Instead used her mother's knee as leverage to pull up from the couch. "Maur," she soothed as she walked over, reaching over and stacking the boxes of tea back in the cabinet, her height giving her leverage that Maura didn't have. "I'm sure your dad doesn't care what kind of tea we have. I think your nearly mutilated leg will serve as the perfect distraction."
"He's a tea drinker," Maura refuted, as if it were a medical condition that required a consistent intake of brewed leaves.
Jane plucked a box of tea from the cabinet, holding it up. "Just give him some of your excrement tea." She waved the box at her mother. "Everyone loves excrement tea."
Angela nodded brightly from the couch. "Ignore her sarcasm. It's very good."
"No," Maura said adamantly. "He's drank Roobis ever since I was a child. It's practically all I can remember about him." She turned, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms protectively over her chest. "I haven't seen him in over two years," she said with a shake of her head, her eyes focusing on the floor. "How can I face him after putting my mother in danger like that?"
Jane shifted, moving a step forward, as she tried to understand Maura's reasoning. "Sweetheart, what are you talking about?" she asked with a confused smile. "Is the aspirin causing your brain waves to short-circuit?"
Maura glanced self-consciously over Jane's shoulder, prompting Tommy and Angela to quickly turn their heads, pretending to analyze the middle-eastern bowl that sat on her coffee table. She lowered her voice. "My mother was almost killed trying to protect me," she said.
"Maura – "
"My father never understood why I wasted my medical degree on such a macabre profession. He's always been critical, and now my job has put all of us in danger more than once in the past month. What is he going to think of me?"
Jane took a step closer to her, shielding her from the prying eyes of her family. However irrational the thought, she was more upset that their petty fight after that night in the firehouse had kept her from helping Maura work through what had clearly been plaguing her for some time. "Listen to me," she said, fully aware that both her mother and her brother were also listening, and she dipped her head lower, deciding for something more distracting than a mere pep talk. "Let's go take a bath," she whispered.
Maura narrowed her eyes, clearly not following her. "What?"
Jane kept her voice intentionally low, angling her head further down. "You and me, let's go take a bath."
Maura cocked her head, squinting her eyes. "I think we need to work on your sense of apropros timing," she said.
Jane smiled, but continued unperturbed, hoping Maura would eventually see her logic. She placed her hand on Maura's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Look, I know things are complicated. But right now, the only thing you need to worry about is getting out of these hospital scrubs and washing the ash out of your hair." As if to emphasize her point, she plucked a tiny piece of gray dust from her hair and tossed it aside before letting her hands cup Maura's softening jaw. "Your parents just want to see that you're okay. There's nothing complicated about that, alright?"
Maura turned her head slightly, pressing her lips into the palm of Jane's hand before offering a slow nod. "Okay," she said, glancing down at the matching scrubs Jane wore. "Let's see what I've got here for you besides running clothes. How do you feel about Cavalli?"
"As long as it's not a dress, we're in business," Jane said with a grin, glad that she could at least pull Maura out of her parental-induced anxiety for a brief moment.
"Oh, Janey, I brought you a few things over from your place," Angela called, picking herself up off the couch. "There's a suitcase in Maura's bedroom for you."
Jane ignored the fact that her mother had chosen to place her suitcase in Maura's bedroom rather than the guestroom, and instead put a hand on her hip as she turned to face her. "And why did you need to bring a suitcase over?" she asked. "I have a whole closet full of things at home."
Angela shook her head. "Uh-uh. Your butt is staying right here, where I can keep an eye on both of you."
Jane frowned, although she couldn't quite complain at the command. She had no desire to be separated from Maura, but she would miss some of the comforts of her own home: her sugary cereals, her chipped coffee mugs. She sighed, glancing down at the woman beside her. "How do you feel about that, Dorthea?"
Maura did a double-take, her eyes widening up at her. "How did you remember that?" she asked. "You were half unconscious when I told you."
"Please, that name is enough to jerk anyone out of unconsciousness. It's like a slap of cold water. 'Dorthea'?"
"It's a lovely name," Angela cut in, giving her an approving nod.
"You're one to talk, Ma," Jane muttered.
"I think Clement - "
"Don't say it," Jane warned, raising a finger. "Alright, I'm getting into something... less comfortable," she said, glancing down at her scrubs and hooking a finger towards Maura. "You coming?"
Maura nodded, following her, but Angela put her hand out to her shoulder, stopping her with a polite, imploring quiver of her lips. "For what it's worth, I've been baking all morning. I'm happy to set some things out for when your parents get here."
Maura stared up at her. At times Angela's generosity still floored her, as unfamiliar as she was with such motherly, selfless gestures. She smiled, leaning up on her good leg and placing a kiss on Angela's cheek, not unlike the cordial gesture she infrequently gave her own mother. "Thank you," she said. "Will you stay?"
Angela returned her smile, nodding and giving her hand a slight squeeze. "Sure thing."
As much as their exchange softened Jane, she still felt a need to clarify Maura's request, if only for her own sanity. "Just until Phillip and Constance leave," she said. "Then you can meander back next door to your own place." She gave her mom a smile only a daughter could get away with and pointed her finger toward the guesthouse before ushering Maura back to the bedroom.
"You know, we're fortunate." Maura gave one last exertive push on her crutches before sinking down onto the bed. She leaned backwards, the hardness of her mattress feeling nice against the small of her back, where a small pain palpated across it, more than likely from sleeping on the hard couch in the hospital room. "To have your mother around." She felt a dip next to her, and then a hand coursing over her thigh.
"I think we're fortunate in a lot of ways," Jane replied, sighing. She turned her head to look down at Maura, who looked as if she'd stepped out of her own medical lab than a hospital. "How'd you sleep last night?"
"Probably about the same as you did when you slept on that awful couch," Maura returned with a slight smile. She groaned slightly. "It's fine. Lower back pain distracts me from lower leg pain."
"I've heard back pain is good for that." Jane laughed as she rose from the bed, clapping Maura's knee. "I'm going to start our bath."
"Our bath?" Maura repeated, raising up with a perplexed fix of her lips. "You don't like baths."
Jane pointed at her sling. "Well, I like them better than sponge baths."
"You can't get your sling wet," Maura protested.
"Thanks to Rhonda's contraband, I can," Jane countered. She gave a sideways glance, her eyes narrowing. "Unless you'd like to experience your bath alone, Dorthea."
Maura shook her head adamantly, her body already moving from its perch on the bed. "Start the water," she instructed, reaching for her crutch.
Jane headed into the bathroom, flipping on the water much like she had that first day when she had played the role of caretaker. She repeated the same motions, adding a plethora of bath salts, until the water began to bubble. The only thing missing was the sense of nervousness that had shaken her hands that first day. As Maura followed her into the bathroom, watching her, Jane felt a strong sense of normalcy, as if they'd been taking baths together for years.
"Come here," Maura said, pulling Jane over to her and unhooking the outer sling she wore. She pulled the loose fitting shirt delicately over the strong shoulders, reversing the same course she'd made at the hospital that morning, being careful as she slipped it over the injured left arm. As her eyes grazed the soft, tan skin of Jane's chest, she brought her closer, pressing a kiss against the top of her breast. Jane was usually all sharp angles and quick movements, but Maura remembered how soft and smooth her skin had felt against her a few nights before, and she let her fingers trace the memory over her taut stomach.
Jane angled Maura's chin up, leaning over and taking her lips, their kiss slow and tentative. Her hands plucked the hem of Maura's shirt upward, and the blonde reached down to help, bringing it up over her head. Jane tugged the drawstring at her waist, and they slipped down Maura's legs, piling into a blue green puddle at her feet.
Maura slipped out of her underwear, and this time she didn't feel nervous as Jane's eyes grazed over her body. "We will never, ever wear matching outfits. Ever again," she emphasized with a smile, as she pushed the scrubs down Jane's long legs and revealing her body once again, letting her fingers trail along the tops of her thighs. She pressed against her, using her body for leverage as she leaned in for another kiss, this one deeper, and more intense than the one before, each of them probing further.
As they pulled apart, Jane worked to regain her breath. "I seem to have forgotten what we're supposed to be doing," she said quietly, looking down at her with a bashful smile.
"A bath."
Jane's eyes darted toward the tub, where the water had finally made it to a comfortable level. "Right," she affirmed, reaching over and shutting it off. "Sorry if this is more suited for a kiddie pool than a bubble bath. I didn't want to fully submerge my arm."
"It is possible for a human to drown in less than two inches of water." She glanced down at the tub. "Of course, the overall surface area of the body of water should be taken into account. I doubt with two of us - "
"I think we've had enough near death experiences lately," Jane said. "Can we not talk about drowning? You're going all 'Final Destination' on me here."
Maura chuckled as she let Jane help her into the tub, situating her leg along the side of it, clear of any bubbles. Jane climbed carefully in behind her, avoiding the bandaged limb, and sat facing her, her long legs wrapping around Maura's compact body. "Wow," she said, secretly pleased that the water was low enough to give her a tantalizing view of Maura's upper body. She made a mental note to keep all of their future bubble baths at this depth.
"I know," Maura gushed, placing her head against the rim and lightly closing her eyes. "Isn't the water great?"
"That too," Jane replied, blushing slightly as Maura peeked one eye open, catching the direction of her gaze.
"Bandaged legs do something for you, Detective?"
"Did I not tell you about that fetish?" Jane asked with a grin, exaggerating the huskiness of her voice and pulling an easy laugh from Maura. She delved as far down into the water as her shoulder allowed, submerging as much of her sooty hair as possible and using one hand to rummage a few bubbles through it. "God, that feels good," she muttered.
"It's like washing off the nightmare," Maura said quietly.
Jane met her eyes, not needing to nod in order to voice her agreement; they both knew the terror that had threatened to uproot the new happiness they had found together. She ran her fingers across Maura's knee, hoping to pull her back from the events of the day before. "Did you even know your dad was back in town?" she asked.
Maura raised her head, shaking it. "I knew he had finally made it to Kenya to fly out, but that was the last I heard."
"What was he doing in Tanzania?"
Maura shrugged, the water shifting slightly around her. "I only know what I read," she answered. "I keep a subscription to The Anthropological Journal just so I can keep up with him. He used to forward me the articles he published, back when I was in medical school." Her voice turned contemplative as she continued, trailing off into a low tone of regret. "But he doesn't anymore."
"Well, I'm sure he thinks his little articles can't compete with the riveting ones in the Journal of Ballistics and Shell Casing Digest of Science," she said lightly, waving her hand. "That doesn't mean he isn't proud of you."
"It isn't about them being proud," Maura contested, her eyes darting nervously toward the water, raking a bubble with her thumb. "It's about not being a burden to them."
Jane felt something harden in her, a feeling she recalled during her first meeting with Constance, when the older woman had carelessly shrugged off Maura's desperate invitation to stay for dessert. Despite what had changed between her and her daughter, Jane still held an inkling of blame when it came to the Isles' parenting skills. "Hey, what's that even mean?" she asked softly. "You don't think my brothers and me were burdens to my Ma? Trust me, she would've been happy to have an unburdensome child around for a change."
Maura shook her head, touching Jane's knee with an appreciative gesture. "No, I know. It's just, all of this with Paddy Doyle and my biological mother, I just feel... guilty for putting them through all of this. The last thing I want to do is to complicate their lives any more than I already have. And now all of this…"
"Look, Maura, if you eventually do want to seek out your birth mom, then isn't it all the more important to strengthen the relationship you have with your mother? It sounds like she's opening herself up, and maybe it's worth taking advantage of, despite your past. And who knows, your father may feel the same way."
Maura nodded, but then raised a dripping hand to her forehead. "Ugh, all these questions…"
Jane studied her for a moment, taking in her tired eyes and the purse of her lips. "I got a question for you," she offered.
"What's that?"
"How am I going to wash the rest of my hair?" she asked with a grin, patting the top of her head, which was still brittly dry.
Maura chuckled, shifting as she leaned forward slightly, reaching for the showerhead above her. "That actually may be something I can answer," she replied.
Angela tossed Tommy a disapproving look as she set another pan of cookies on the counter next to him. "Tommy, you're supposed to be plating, not eating," she reprimanded.
"I can't help it," he replied, his mouth full. "They're too good." He swallowed. "And I can't imagine Maura's folks recognizing the art of a good chocolate chip cookie, anyway."
"Chocolate chip walnut," Angela stressed. "As a divorcee, I've become more sophisticated with my baked goods."
"Fancy," Tommy sang with a grin, plucking another cookie for himself. "So good," he said, taking a bite that encompassed most of it.
Angela gave him a warm smile, tussling his hair. "That's so sweet, Tommy." Her lips morphed into a straight line. "But either move it or lose it." He frowned, moving to the other side of the counter as Angela shook her head. "I swear the three of you are like walking garbage disposals."
"Ma, if it's all the same to you, I'm gonna head next door before they get here," Tommy said, raising himself off the counter and brushing his hands across his shirt.
"You don't want to meet Maura's parents?"
He cringed. "Not really."
Angela raised an eyebrow as if to chastise him once again, but her face softened. "I don't blame you," she said, walking toward the refrigerator.
"You don't like 'em?" he asked. "I thought you got along fine with Maura's Ma."
"I do," Angela replied, waving a hand as she sifted several of the small compartments along the door, her eyes scanning across tiny jars of olives and things resembling olives. "They're fine people," she qualified. "Not our kind of people, but fine people."
Tommy grinned. "How can they be so uptight, when Maura's so great?"
Angela looked up at him, weariness in her eyes as she studied her son, more than aware of his feelings for the medical examiner. "You know, Tommy, I'm your mother, and you may think I don't catch on to much - "
He raised a hand quickly to her. "I know, Maura's out of my league," he said.
Angela shook her head slightly, choosing her words carefully. "It's more like she's definitely playing for a different team. "
"I get it, Ma," he said again, this time more firmly. "And I'm happy for her and Jane."
"Well, good," Angela said with a nod, pleased that she didn't have to referee a battle she didn't particularly want to be in the middle of, and she pulled out a wrapped log of cheese from the refrigerator. She sniffed it, cringing. "This must be expensive," she surmised as she moved it toward the plate she had prepared. "I'm happy for Jane, too."
The doorbell rang, and Tommy raised his eyebrows, hurriedly creeping toward the back door. "I'll see you later, Ma!" he called, lurching for the cookie plate once more, but Angela caught the back of his collar.
"You wish," she said. "I'm going to get Maura and Jane, you let them in and be nice."
Tommy grimaced, a cookie stuck half in his mouth as he looked precariously towards the door, gulping once before walking towards it. Angela gave him a last smile, motioning for him to straighten his posture as she headed toward Maura's bedroom. The room was quiet, but a telltale splash of water and the slightly cracked bathroom door let her know where she was most likely to find her girls. She made for it, raising her hand to knock, but it froze in mid-air as she heard Jane's voice.
"Wow, that felt good," Jane gushed, wiping her eyes with one hand before running it through her soaked, and newly washed hair. Maura smiled, pleased, as she tossed the detachable shower head somewhere behind her, letting it clank against the wall. "Let me do you."
Angela's lips parted outside the door, and she leaned closer, a hand over her mouth.
Inside the tub, Maura shook her head. "In due time," she said. "Let's just relax." She let her head dip back against the back rim, and Jane caught the faint semblance of finger-shaped bruises along her neck, leftover signs from that horrific moment in the car. She leaned forward, almost retching, putting her good hand against her head and prompting Maura to lean forward, concerned. "Are you okay?" she asked, reaching for her. "Is your head bothering you?"
Jane shook off the remnants of her nightmare, her hands fidgeting and sloshing the water around the tops of her knees. "I should have protected us," she said quietly. "I'm so sorry."
Maura slid closer to her. "Why would you say that?"
"Every time I thought about making a move, or doing something to get us out of that car, I just became so afraid of… I don't know… of something going wrong. Of losing you. I was more afraid than I think I've ever been."
"That makes two of us," Maura said with a kind smile. The fear in Jane's eyes unnerved her, as the detective so rarely allowed herself to open up to such emotion, but she recognized the distinct trust that came along with it. "You are the most courageous person I know," she continued. "But what saved me most in that car…" she swallowed, pausing a moment before beginning again. "Do you know what saved me yesterday?"
"Knocking that motherfucker's balls off?" Jane tried with an exhausted laugh.
"No," Maura said, chuckling with relief at the humorous attempt. "It was your voice from the front seat, taking me back to a place where I wasn't fearful or weak or powerless. A place where it was just us, where I was strong and brave and… loved."
"That was easy," Jane said lightly, but emotion tightened her voice. "That was one of the best moments I've had in awhile."
Maura reached up, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear. "We have many opportunities to top that moment," she said with a smile, leaning over and sweetly taking her lips. Jane breathed into the kiss, as if letting go of any extra fear, and simply let herself feel the two of them together, their slick skin sliding together.
Outside, Angela felt her eyes going moist; rarely had she heard Jane open up like that to anyone, and it shifted something inside her heart to know that the tiny blonde medical examiner had managed to reach her. She quickly wiped a hand under her eyes, taking a step back and clearing her throat in a false warning. "Jane, Maura?" she called.
At the sound of her mother's voice outside the door, Jane lurched back against the tub as Maura let out a small yelp, dodging backwards and dipping her head just underneath the water. "Yeah!" she yelled, hoping to cover her shock, which was quickly bubbling into laughter.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Maura's parents are here," Angela called, too briskly and too casually.
"We'll be right out!" Jane responded, her words clipped as she rushed over them. Maura's head popped back above water, and she let her laugh finally explode from her belly in an explosive burst of air. "What are you doing, diving for gold?" she asked.
"I didn't know what else to do!" Maura exclaimed. "I was embarrassed!"
Jane didn't bother holding in another laugh, and tossed a shampoo bottle toward Maura, letting it splash over at her. "Well, do it again, and this time remember to lather."
"No, Jane, there's no time," Maura hissed, wringing her hair out with her hand. "Get out, and help me up."
Jane arched an eyebrow. "Say it nicely."
Maura stared vehemently at her, and Jane was able to hold her stare for only a split second before lifting herself out of the tub and obediently extending a hand to the smaller woman. "Okay, Little Mermaid, let's go." She snuck another glance at Maura's body before handing her over a towel, but took advantage of her perch on the sink, bending down and giving her a quick, confident kiss. "I love you," she said. "Whatever you need from me out there with your parents, I'm ready and willing to do it."
"Will you promise to keep your opinions to yourself?" Maura asked hopefully.
Jane scrunched her lips, avoiding her gaze for a moment. "Well, this should be interesting," she said brightly, with a saccharine smile as she ducked out of the bathroom, still soaking wet.
"You didn't promise!" Maura called. "And don't drip on the carpet!"
"I love you!" Jane repeated, prompting Maura to narrow her eyes in frustration before chuckling softly. Her parents may drive an anxious spike through her mind, but she knew exactly who had her heart, and that gave her all the confidence she needed.
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