Sorry for the late update... Slightly shorter than usual but I'm up to my eyeballs at work.
Jane turned up at the crime scene fifteen minutes after Harold had called her.
A car had been blown up outside of The Institute of Contemporary Art. The vehicle belonged to an affluent couple and had another victim inside. It was now officially an FBI Violent Crime's case and Jane's team would be working closely with the BPD to solve it.
The brunette didn't get home until late the following morning of the bombing. After assessing the scene with her boss, her two teammates, Korsak, and the Boston Police bomb squad. Forensics confirmed that the materials for this explosion were the same used in the last one.
Unfortunately there was still no ID on the first victim and now they had another. The only connection in the whole case that was significant but she had no idea how, was that both cars belonged to two of the most wealthy families in Boston: the Fairfields and now the Lowells. However, no one from either family had been hurt.
To top off Jane's shitty night and morning, she had just missed her wife who left for work again about an hour earlier.
Jane trudged up the stairs for a shower and bed.
Eight hours later, little voices were trying to wake her.
"Mama! Wake up. It's time for dinner." Lu stroked her hair carefully.
"Wha? K babies… Gimme a minute." Jane croaked out and sat up, smiling at her twin girls waiting for her patiently.
"We missed you, Mama." Maddie claimed. "You weren't home to put us to bed last night." She complained and folded her arms in a huff. It was very cute.
"Aww, I'm sorry munchkin. I didn't wanna work if that makes ya feel any better. At least you got to sleep."
"I guess so." The seven year old accepted and pulled at Jane's wrist, still overly cautious of her Mama's hands.
"Ok sweetie, let me get dressed."
"Nah, you're good." Lucille chimed in matter-of-factly. Maddie nodded seriously and the girls left the room, expecting their mama to follow.
Jane chuckled to herself and shrugged her shoulders. She would just blame them if Maura scolded her for the skimpy shorts and tank top she was about to wear to dinner.
Instead of being scolded for her attire, her wife couldn't string a sentence together. Jane assumed it was due to the presence of her long legs. She loved that she could distract her gorgeous doctor to the point of incomprehensibility. It was adorable.
"Maur?"
"Huh? Sorry honey. What did you say?"
"I asked you if you would like to close your mouth and stop drooling over me." Jane said with a straight face. She cracked and laughed loudly when what she said eventually registered on Maura's face and she received a joking slap on the thigh. The smaller hand stayed there, caressing the skin occasionally throughout the rest of the meal.
"Hi there. Are you Elizabeth's mother?" A short, auburn haired woman in her mid to late thirties approached the FBI agent.
"Hi. Yeah, I am." Jane stated proudly.
"Wonderful. I wasn't sure if I would get to meet you! Their grandmother always drops them to school doesn't she?"
"Yeah, that's my Ma. I work crazy hours so she does most of the school drop offs and pick ups." Jane pointed to the vehicle where her mother sat in the passenger seat checking Facebook on her phone.
The woman noticed that Jane wasn't wearing a wedding ring at all. "It's great to see you have such incredible support." She held out her hand. "I'm April Saunders, Chloe's mother."
"Nice ta meet you. I'm Jane. I haven't heard Chloe mentioned before. Is she close to Eli?"
"We only moved to the area in May. Chloe started just this year and the girls have been so nice to include her over the last few weeks since school started back." The auburn haired woman informed Jane.
The tall woman watched the smaller dark haired girl play with Eli and Peyton. "Oh ok. Well, I'm sure Eli would love a playdate sometime? Do you have any other kids?"
"No, just Chloe. You?"
"Yeah, three more." Jane declared with enthusiasm.
"Wow! You look amazing having had four children!" April took the opportunity to check Jane out.
"Oh, no! I didn't give birth to them, my wife did. But you should see her! She's got an incredible body." Jane claimed innocently. She had no idea the woman was trying to flirt with her.
April raised her eyebrows in surprise at this revelation. "It was lovely to meet you, Jane. Here's my number if you want to have that play date." Married or not, April wanted to see the curly haired beauty again.
"Cool. Thanks. I'll call ya."
Jane completely forgot to follow up on calling back April Saunders but she was lucky that Elizabeth's birthday was only a couple of weeks after they met. The ten year old had invited Chloe and Peyton over for a movie and cake to celebrate on the Friday afternoon of her special day.
The FBI agent was relieved that it wasn't going to be another party. She had received a call the evening before to investigate a crime scene in Gloucester that seemed to be related to the 'ice pick' murders that Shaw had assigned her to. Her current two cases were frustrating her with the lack of leads and her mind was constantly on them at the moment.
Jane entered her house to the sound of her mother speaking to someone who's voice she didn't recognise.
"Janie! The girls are here already. Molly just dropped Peyton off and April is here with Chloe." Angela informed her tired looking daughter.
"Hey Ma. Hi April. Good to see you again." Jane greeted as she took off her jacket and frowned when she noticed the auburn haired woman obviously looking at her in a manner that was more than just friendly. She decided to ignore it and hope it was just her overactive imagination at the moment.
"Jane, it's a pleasure! You have such a lovely home." April complimented and took a sip of her coffee.
"Thanks. It suits us." Jane smiled and asked her mother for a coffee.
"Sure thing, Bella. Do you want sugar?"
"Yeah but don't give me that crap that Maura uses." Jane referred to her wife's organic sweetener. She hated the taste of it.
"Alright!" Her mother agreed and put a teaspoon of sugar into her daughter's cup.
"Where are the girls?" Jane asked, noticing that they weren't watching a movie yet.
"They're just playing in Eli's room. Kate will gather them when she comes down for dinner." Angela informed her.
"And the rest of my children?" Jane raised an eyebrow. The house was too quiet.
"The twins are having a sleepover at Carmela's and Maura should be picking Alex up from Marcus' house soon. She had to work late and he was begging to go over and have a play there."
"Ok, then." Jane relaxed a little knowing that her family were all taken care of. She sipped her coffee and smiled politely again at April who was watching her intently.
"I'm not sure where you get the energy for four children, Jane, but you are amazing!" The smaller woman complimented.
"Uh thanks. We have incredible support around-" Jane didn't quite finish her whole sentence at the sound of the front door opening.
"Hey Mama!" Alex rushed up to Jane and shoved a piece of paper in her face. "Look what I got from soccer yesterday!"
Jane held the paper and read it. It was an award for outstanding performance. She ruffled his blonde locks and smiled proudly at him. "Nice job, sweetheart." He beamed a big smile back and hugged her tightly.
Maura's heels sounded on the tiled floor and Jane looked up adoringly at her beautiful wife. The doctor hadn't been home since 1am that morning and while she looked a little tired, Jane couldn't help but feel her heart leap at how gorgeous she was after nineteen hours of straight work. Her white shirt was still tucked into the navy blue skirt, and her yellow jacket was still as crisp and clean as when she had taken it off her hanger that morning.
The doctor placed her bag and keys on the dining table and clicked her way towards the kitchen, smiling at the three women at the bench whom had all turned to look at her.
"Hi baby." Jane got off her seat to meet Maura half way across the room and kiss her hello.
"Hi darling." Maura wrapped her arms around the brunette and leaned in for one more, slightly longer kiss.
"Mmm, I missed you" Jane said and held Maura's hand as they entered the kitchen area.
"Missed you too." The blonde responded with a tired grin. "Hi Angela." She greeted and smiled at the unfamiliar face in her kitchen. "Hi, I'm Maura." The doctor held out her hand.
"Hi Maura, I'm April, Chloe's mom." The auburn haired woman was a little taken back by the honey blonde. She wasn't sure what to expect of Jane's spouse and the mother of four children, but this definitely wasn't it.
"Lovely to meet you, April. Chloe seems to be making friends easily at school." The doctor commented easily, picking up Jane's mug and taking a sip of coffee. She grimaced at the sugar in it and placed it back down.
"Uh yes. Eli and Peyton have been wonderful in making her feel welcome."
"They're both good girls. They'll look after her." Angela added, listening in to the conversation.
"How was work, babe?" Jane asked, concerned at how tired her wife appeared.
"Long." Maura answered simply. Jane gave her a sympathetic look.
"What do you do, Maura?" April asked interested.
"I'm an OBGYN at Brigham and Women's Hospital."
"Oh! I had Chloe there and the MHC Center were such a help to me after her birth." April announced happily.
"It's a wonderful hospital and the MHC Center do a fantastic job with postpartum care." Maura responded. The two kept talking about childbirth and hospital care for a bit longer and Angela piped in occasionally. Jane became restless very quickly. This wasn't exactly interesting conversation to her.
"Well, it was nice to chat but I gotta shower." Jane informed the group. She directed her next comment to her wife. "You might find me passed out in there. Just turn the tap off and throw a towel over me." Jane winked.
"Dinner will be ready soon, Janie."
"Ok!" Was called from the top of the stairs.
"Well, I might head home for a bit and then come back and get Chloe around 9pm if that time still suits?"
"Oh no, please stay for dinner." Maura insisted but April declined, knowing her daughter would be too embarrassed to have her mother around for her playdate. Maura understood. Eli had just started to feel self-conscious about her parents' presence in front of her friends recently but not enough for her to send them away yet.
Molly Matthews knocked on the door of the Beacon Hill home for the second time that evening. Peyton was supposed to be staying the night but Molly had made a last minute decision and decided to pick her up.
"Molly, hello." Maura greeted in surprise. "Are you alright?" She asked when the short blonde woman didn't respond.
"Oh, yes. Hi Maura. Sorry ta bother ya but I came to pick Peyton up." Molly stated with some agitation.
"Of course. Come in." Maura led her further into the house. "I must have misunderstood but I thought that Peyton was staying the night. The girls have just gone to bed."
"Aw well, she was supposed ta stay but I-" The blonde couldn't continue. She didn't want to admit her reasons to this stranger. Their girls may have been friends since kindergarten but she barely knew Maura Isles. Guilt seemed to overtake her over this realisation and she fidgeted with her hands.
Maura placed a caring hand on the obviously upset woman's shoulder. "Molly, it's fine. If you want Peyton to come home, then she can.
Molly looked up into kind hazel eyes. "I uh, don't wanna ruin the girls' night. I'll just head home." She offered, feeling embarrassed.
"Why don't I get her and you can say goodnight and that might help you feel more settled?" Maura asked without any judgement. Molly nodded, relieved.
"Hi there." Jane greeted the unfamiliar face as she came downstairs. She had no idea who the woman was.
"Honey, this is Molly, Peyton's mother." Maura introduced and glanced over to the blonde to gauge her reaction. "Molly, this is my wife, Jane."
"Uh, hi." Molly offered her hand somewhat politely but seemed to feel a bit awkward.
"Jay, can you please grab Peyton so Molly can say goodnight?" The doctor smiled warmly at her wife when she received an affirmative answer.
Once Peyton had come downstairs and given her mother a hug goodnight. Molly seemed a lot more relaxed. She said goodbye to Jane when the FBI agent claimed that she was going to bed and went to leave.
"Why don't you stay and have a tea?" The doctor offered politely and watched Molly's posture relax even more as she agreed. The woman clearly didn't want to go home to an empty house. Maura assumed it was the first time since her husband and her had split up.
Maura settled Peyton's mother in the living room and out the kettle on. Once she had made their tea, she sat across from Molly and smiled warmly.
"Thanks for this." Molly stated gratefully.
"Of course. Anytime." Maura took a sip of her drink and decided that straight forward had always her best approach. She hoped she didn't scare the woman off. "Peyton was saying that you and your husband recently have separated?" It came out as a question so that it didn't come across as abrupt.
The blonde woman took in a deep breath and just nodded. Her stress levels rose at the mention.
"It's perfectly normal to experience separation anxiety this early on. You're very brave for allowing Peyton to come and stay.
"Really?" Molly asked in surprise. She felt anything but brave at the moment.
"Absolutely. I experienced it when I started back at university a year and a half after I left my ex-husband." Maura volunteered the information to help the other woman feel more at ease. It worked.
"You were married before?" Peyton's mother asked, intrigued.
"Yes, for four years."
"What happened?" Molly asked shyly, feeling ok to do so.
"He cheated on me."
"What?! That's ridiculous. You're beautiful." Molly declared with a scoff. "What a dickhead."
Maura laughed at the response. It was what most women said to her when she told them her story. "Well, yes he was. But I am so happy now. I love my life." She smiled genuinely and felt she was able to continue. "What happened with you and your husband?" The doctor asked gently.
Molly hesitated for a moment. Maura had expected that. "Well… I wish he had cheated on me." She offered vaguely and then gave a small shake of her head. "He um, he hit me. A lot." She looked up and for the first time in the last few months, met an understanding and calm face at the revelation.
"I'm so sorry, Molly. Leaving was probably one of the hardest things you have had to do but you are incredible for doing so." Maura watched as a few tears escaped the blue eyes. She reached for the tissues on the lamp stand next to her.
"Thanks Maura. I'm not sure I've met anyone who really gets it. My mom was kinda nice to me about it but she just says that I should forgive and forget. The problem is…" She paused to gather herself. "Problem is, it ain't the first time and it wouldn't be the last, ya know?"
"Yes, I do. You did the right thing for yourself and your daughter." Maura moved to wrap an arm around the broader shouldered woman as she cried for a moment. "I'm not sure if you know but I'm a doctor at the CARE clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Why don't you come in and see me on Monday?" Maura asked as she caressed her back soothingly.
Molly frowned in confusion. "What kinda clinic is it?"
"It's for domestic violence victims." She stated simply.
"Ok." Molly agreed softly. "I'll come in after I drop Peyton at school."
"Hey Jane, check this out." Frost entered the CID office and tossed some paperwork on the brunette's desk.
"What am I lookin' at?" She asked.
Finn slid his chair around next to her desk and looked over the report.
"Bank account information for the Fairfields and the Lowells. Both families had their cars detailed at the same place just a few weeks apart.
"Why the fuck didn't we see this earlier?" Jane asked, annoyed at the simple connection.
"High end socialites don't particularly like their bank information released to anyone." Lucy chimed in.
"Yeah, it took three judges before we got a warrant. They have no idea that it makes them more suspicious. Fuckin' pains in the ass." Frost commented and all four laughed at how true it was.
"Ok. So, All Star Mobile Auto Detailing in Boston. Holy shit! $450? They better spit shine it for that much. Ludicrous!" Jane exclaimed and picked up her jacket. "Ok, Lu or Finn, who's comin' with me to talk to these guys?"
"I am up to my eyeballs with the D.C. case, Jane." Lucy stated.
"Looks like I'm up!" Finn grabbed his jacket and happily followed the taller woman.
"Hi darling." Maura greeted her wife with a kiss and kept stirring the delicious smelling meal that was on the stove top.
"Hey babe. Did you work today?" Jane asked as she stood closely behind the smaller woman with her hands on Maura's hips. She had left early that morning and was home a bit later than usual. She hadn't seen any of her family all day.
"Yes, just a half day at the clinic. Before you ask, the kids are all over at your mother's watching 'Harry Potter'."
Jane chuckled as she kissed the side of the doctor's neck. "I can't believe they convinced Ma to watch it finally!" Jane let her hands wander a bit until Maura pulled away to get more ingredients. She pouted.
"Sorry honey." Maura laughed at her wife's adorable face. She threw the vegetables into the pan and stirred again. "Ok, that only needs a few minutes and it will be ready." She turned around to wrap her arms around Jane's neck and give her a proper kiss hello.
Of course, that was the moment the kids all entered the house with their Nonna.
"Ewww!"
"Gross!"
"Hi Mama!"
A myriad of comments were thrown their way as Jane broke the kiss to greet her kids. "Hi my babies!" She smiled cheerfully and gathered each of them up into a hug. "Hey Ma." She gave her mother a one armed hug and a kiss to the side of the head. "You stayin' for dinner?"
"Yep. I can't wait! I've never eaten French food before." Angela claimed and sat down at the neatly made up table with her grandchildren.
"French?" Jane raised her eyebrows. "It's not snails is it, Maura?!" She asked seriously. Her wife had tried to get her to eat them on her honeymoon and she absolutely refused.
The doctor rolled her eyes and walked into the living room carrying two bowls. "No, it's my mother's recipe of Daube Provençale. Can you please grab some more bowls. I need to get the Fougasse out of the oven."
"The what?" Jane asked, confused, as she got more bowls of the beef and vegetable stew from the kitchen bench.
"The bread, sweetheart."
"Oh Maura, this is wonderful!" Angela exclaimed as she took her first bite.
"Thank you. I have to admit, I didn't make it in the traditional braising pan like my mother does but it's still good."
Jane reached over and placed her hand on Maura's thigh. "It's awesome, babe. Are there leftovers?"
"Uh huh."
"Dibs on leftovers for my lunch tomorrow!" Jane claimed and laughed at the faces around the table as they poked their tongues out or gave a disappointed 'aww' at her.
The honey blonde smiled as she glanced around the table at her happy family. It felt good to be able to cook for them, even though ti wasn't a common occurrence.
I have the next chapter almost finished and that will be it until the sequel! Keep the ideas coming. I'm loving the feedback.
