Finals are over and I'm home so I've got more time for writing. Thank you for all the reviews and new follows. This chapter is a little...tense.
Enjoy and review if you please...or please review? I love feedback :)
It's 2:23 a.m., the day after Valentine's day, when Jane hears her phone beep and seconds later Maura's follows. They've only had about two hours of sleep and she can't help but think this is the worst night to be called in for a homicide. She turns over and groans until she feels Maura's calming touch upon her cheek.
She knows it's Maura's left hand instantly. She's become increasingly aware of what hand Maura is using and when. She's aware because it's a constant reminder of how much of a coward she is. Because that one finger on that one hand still sits empty.
She returned two of the three rings. She made Angela promise to give her grandmother's ring to Frankie. Constance hasn't sent the ring back to her in the mail so she is hoping that she understood her letter explaining why she couldn't accept the ring.
She's still trying to figure out what to do with the final ring. Since she really can't go out and find Doyle, she has to get a hold of Hope; something she really doesn't want to do behind Maura's back. But even despite her hesitance, it is proving nearly impossible as the woman is clearly purposefully avoiding her. She's still going to try though; it's all she really can do.
But now she sits with that empty left hand upon her cheek and she's back to realizing it's the middle of the night and they're getting called in.
This better be fucking important! She thinks as she squints her eyes open.
"Jane." She whispers.
"No." Jane whines as she sits up. She knows everyone is going to be avoiding her today. Being called in this early is the easiest way to get an even crabbier side of Jane than normal. But homicide waits for no one and it especially doesn't happen at opportune times.
In 15 minutes, Maura and Jane are in the car and on the way to the crime scene, Maura looking a lot more put together than Jane. It's the result of another routine between them.
When they arrive to the crime scene Maura leans over and pecks Jane's cheek. "Be nice, okay?"
Jane doesn't respond as Maura exits the car. She's done with making promises she can't keep.
They step into the house and proceed with the normal questioning and investigation as always except Jane's a lot of bark and bite as she asks questions, her voice only softening when she's talking to Maura.
Frankie gets the worst of her attacks as she calls him out for everything he does wrong, which isn't much, but she's got to get back at someone.
A double homicide is not what she wants to deal with after a late and amazing night with her girlfriend. But this is the way the world is, this is her job.
She leaves Maura and the rest of the team to the bodies as she explores the rest of the home. Her interest piques when she notices another room other than the master bedroom with the name "Aaron" stuck to it in red, foam letters. It makes sense, a woman and a man lie dead in the living room and entrance. It's no surprise that they may have a child.
She steps towards the room and opens the door slowly, hoping the child was away tonight. When she sees the room is empty, she breathes a sigh of relief. While she heads toward the door to leave she hears a small whimper.
Instantly her mood softens and her heart clenches. She steps slowly toward the closet on the other side of the room and begins to calmly and quietly speak to the child she is sure is in there.
"Aaron. If that is you in there, my name is detective Rizzoli. I'm a police officer and I'm here to help. I promise I'm not going to hurt you." She whispers as she reaches the closet.
"I'm going to open the closet. If you don't want me to, then you can tell me to stop and I will." When she hears no sounds of protest she slowly opens the door to see a small child around 5 or 6-years-old in the corner of the closet. His knees are up to his chest and as soon as he sees Jane he breaks down and begins to cry softly.
"Is your name Aaron?" She asks softly as she kneels down.
He nods a small nod while Jane slowly reaches for her badge.
"My name is Jane." She extends her badge towards the boy. "I'm a police officer."
He lifts his head a bit to see the badge and Jane can see a small change in his demeanor. She hopes that change means some of his fear is dissipating.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" She asks.
When he shakes his head she gives him a gentle smile. "Would you like to come with me?" When he shakes his head no again she frowns a bit.
"I promise I won't hurt you." She says. "We can go in my car and you can put the siren on."
His head picks up but he still seems hesitant and she hopes she is on the right track. "One of my partners will be able to get you anything you'd like too. Would you like some ice cream?"
He looks blankly at her for a moment before nodding. Jane extends her arms and he thinks a moment before crawling towards her.
She pulls her jacket off and wraps it around the boy before lifting him. "I'm going to put this over your head okay. Don't remove it until I tell you to okay?"
He nods and she lifts the blazer over his head. She walks briskly but smoothly out of the room and out of the house while she sees her colleagues all looking at her. She hears Maura behind her but does not stop until she is outside and at her car.
She pulls the blazer off his head and opens the backseat of her car and sets him down. She knows Maura is standing behind her. "I'm going to buckle you in and then talk to my partner real quick and then we can get ice cream."
She closes the door gently after buckling him in before turning to Maura.
"I'm going to get him ice cream and then I'm going to bring him back to the station. Finish up here, ride with Frost to BPD and meet me at the morgue so you can assess him."
Maura remains silent still processing what's going on. "Is he- is he alright?"
"Physically, yes." Jane assures her. "You'll still need to assess him before we call DCS." She says before she heads to the other side of the car and gets into the driver's seat. She looks back in the mirror to see Aaron staring out the window at a still stunned Maura.
"Is she okay?" He whispers. It's the first words he's spoken and Jane can't help but smile at him. His first words after such a traumatic experience are ones of worry about another person.
"She's fine sweetie. She's just worried about you."
"Tell her I'm okay." He says after a moment.
"I will." Jane promises him. "Are you ready to go?"
He nods and she pulls off after turning the siren on. She notices a brief smile on his face before it returns to its worried state.
Twenty minutes later they're in the morgue; Aaron is sitting on one of the examination tables eating his ice cream while Jane waits for Maura. She watches him silently. She studies him. She's never been so intrigued by a child before.
He was quiet since the car ride. The only words he spoke were the ones in concern for Maura. Jane asked him many questions, but after the first few received no response, she began asking them in a yes or no format. From what she asked she affirmed that was his home, he didn't know his parent's names other than mom and dad, he was six years old and he liked chocolate chip ice cream.
Now he sits just as terse as before and Jane has no idea what she is doing.
When Maura finally walks in, Jane takes a breath of relief.
"How is he?" Maura says as soon as she reaches Jane.
"He's fine, quiet, but fine." Jane informs her.
"Jane, I don't think I'm the best person to do a medical exam." Maura worries.
"I trust you with it more than DCS." She tells her.
"Do we have to call DCS? Doesn't he have any family?"
"We've been looking, but I haven't been able to question him. He won't talk." She answers.
"Do you think he's suffering from PTSD?" Maura wonders as her face etches with worry.
"That's why I need you to look him over Maura. The kid won't say a thing." Jane explains.
"I'm not a psychiatrist, Jane. I can't access his psyche. The most I can do is look him over for physical harm"
"You took classes in psychiatry." Jane pushes.
"I took one clinical in behavioral neuroscience." Maura corrects.
"Well it's better than what I can do for him. Just see if he will talk to you. I have a feeling he will." Jane finalizes while giving Maura a small push towards the boy.
Maura finally relents and steps forward to the child. "Hello." She starts softly. "My name is Maura, what is your name?"
He's quiet for a moment as he processes what she says. She turns to Jane and shrugs, thinking she isn't going to get much further.
"I'm Aaron." He answers to Maura's surprise.
"Hello Aaron. How are you feeling?" She begins.
"I'm fine." He says softly. And though his words are short, they're more than Jane was getting.
"Well Aaron, I'm a doctor. I'm here to make sure you're okay." She informs him while stepping closer. "Would you mind if I examined you to make sure you aren't hurt anywhere?"
When he nods she takes it as her cue to touch him. She pats his hand and gives him a warm smile before starting her examination.
Jane watches as Maura takes extra care with the boy. It doesn't surprise her that Aaron is talking to her. The only words he spoke were those in regard for her. She watches as Maura's right hand (she's still very aware of those hands) extends with a wet cloth and gently wipes away the ice cream staining the boy's face. It's maternal and instinctual for Maura. It's no wonder the boy was drawn to her, who wouldn't be drawn to Maura.
"You look like you're in pretty good shape. You're a strong young man." Maura says sincerely to Aaron once she is done. She looks over to Jane and it's obvious she has no idea what to do.
Jane steps forward and takes a seat in front of Aaron. "Aaron, can you tell us what happened tonight?"
She's sees Maura nod to him when he immediately looks over to her for guidance. He keeps his eyes trained on her as he talks.
"I heard loud noises and my dad yelling about something and woke up. Then I heard my mom scream. My dad said "Please, no" and then I heard a loud bang and then a second one a little bit later. I heard two more bangs and then it was quiet." He stammers to Maura.
"That was very smart of you to hide in the closet." Maura notes.
"My mom told me that if anything sounded scary I should hide in my closet and she would come get me when it was safe." He explains.
"Have you ever had to hide in the closet before?" Jane questions.
"One time when the ground started to shake a lot."
Frost comes in with a few pictures for Jane and she holds them up for Aaron. "Are these your mommy and daddy?"
He nods and Jane sees a frown immediately form on Maura's face. "Do you have any other family members?
"My aunt." He answers and pauses. "But I haven't seen her in a long time."
Momentarily she was happy. She thought he would have family to go to. But now things seem even worse for him. She looks to Maura and silently tells her to stay with Aaron while she and Frost call DCS.
"So, what do you like to do for fun?" Maura asks once Jane and Frost leave. She's completely out of her element. What does a six year old boy like to do for fun and how do you keep him distracted from the most traumatic experience of his life?
"Baseball. I'm in little league." He says with a little excitement.
"Really? Jane loves baseball. You would probably enjoy talking to her about it."
He nods and silence consumes them again. "Can I ask you a question?" He asks softly.
"Absolutely." She answers.
"My parents." He starts. "They're not okay are they?"
She's completely blindsided by his question. She thought he had no idea, but it's obvious he is a lot smarter than she thought. She doesn't know what to say so she decides to tell him the truth. "No, they're not."
He nods and pulls his lips into his mouth and Maura is sure he will cry. She reaches out to hold his hand and he silently accepts it. They sit quietly until Jane returns.
When she walks in she pulls Maura aside. "They won't be sending a caseworker in until 11."
"What are they going to do with him?" Maura questions while looking worriedly at the sullen boy.
"Take care of him until they find any family that he has to take him."
"What if he doesn't have any? He said he hasn't seen his aunt in a long time."
Jane can see the hurt in Maura's face. Being an adopted child she knows what it's like to be raised by parents that aren't yours. But this kid has got it so much worse. "He will have to go into foster care, Maur."
She can see it within Maura, that pleading. She can see how she wants to argue against it, to suggest it. She doesn't even want to think of what 'it' is. But what worries her most of all is not that the intent is there, but the fact that if Maura asks, if Maura were to say those words, she knows she wouldn't be able to say no. So she says the only thing she can think of to tell Maura not to ask without saying no.
"Don't get attached Maura. The best we can do right now is find his parents' murderer and bring him justice."
Maura nods and Jane can see the tears forming behind her eyes. She realizes it's too late, that Maura is attached, but she chooses to ignore it. It's the only thing she can do right now. Because she's got other things to focus on, she's got a double homicide to solve. And most of all, she's scared.
For someone so brave, Jane is such a coward. She knows she wants to marry Maura. She knows it with every fiber of her being. She is 100% certain. Yet Maura's ring finger sits vacant. Because she's a coward too scared to ask and too scared to take that next step.
She can tell Maura wants to argue, she's sees the intent in her eyes but then Aaron calls Maura's name and she runs to him immediately. Jane takes a deep breath. She doesn't know how long she can avoid the question.
"I'm tired." He cries while wiping his eyes.
"I'm sorry sweetie. Would you like to sleep on the couch in my office?" She asks warmly.
He nods and she lifts him to take to her office.
"Maura that thing's about as comfortable as one of the slabs." Jane argues as she follows Maura into the room and watches her lay him down.
"Well where else would he sleep?" Maura questions. "Give me your jacket, Jane."
"What? Maura why?"
Maura just holds out her hand and Jane huffs while she takes it off. She tucks the boy in using Jane's jacket while he closes his eyes and already begins to nod off.
"Now I'm gonna be without my jacket." Jane protests.
Maura just gives her the look she knows not to argue with and shoos her out of the office.
"What are you going to do with him sleeping in there?" Jane questions once they get back into the morgue.
"Examine the two bodies I have here." Maura tells her.
"What if he walks in Maura."
"I'll be careful, Jane. He won't see anything. He's been awake all night so hopefully he'll be asleep until his caseworker arrives."Maura promises before walking off to her work station.
Jane watches her for a moment and sighs. She can't help feeling bad for avoiding the questions she knows Maura wants to ask.
Maybe I should give it a chance. Maybe entertaining the idea will make it easier for me to propose. A kid is a big step in a relationship. Maybe considering a bigger step than marriage will make marriage easier. But what if I let her get her hopes up and DCS doesn't allow it?
She shrugs off her thoughts and walks up to Maura and takes her hand in hers. She ignores Maura's questioning looks and gives her a gentle kiss on the lips. "We'll talk when we get home, okay?"
Maura doesn't question it she just nods and let's Jane leave, hoping she understood correctly what she was implying.
It's only a few hours into her examination of the bodies when she hears crying from her office and Aaron calling her name. She effectively covers the bodies and rushes to the distraught boy. When she gets into the office she can see tears in Aaron's eyes and steps towards him.
"What's wrong sweetie?" She asks. She doesn't expect the boy to wrap his arms around her immediately. It takes only a moment before she gives in and gives the boy the small comfort of a hug. Jane's words run through her mind, she really shouldn't get attached, but she also knows Aaron needs someone. "Did you have a bad dream?"
He nods and buries his head into her stomach as he begins to cry.
She doesn't have to ask what it was about, she's pretty sure she has an idea. "How about I sit with you until you fall back asleep?"
He sniffles out an "okay" and Maura watches as he lays his head down in her lap. She doesn't protest and tries to console him by gently rubbing his back to lull him into a sleep. She doesn't notice Jane watching from the door.
She sits and admires Maura with the boy. She notes how good Maura looks with a child. Jane can't help but think maybe it won't be so bad to talk about children with Maura. She knows she wants kids with her. If she had to be honest, she wanted a kid with Maura since they took care of Junior together. But she can't even get the guts to propose and she wonders how long it will be until she gets the nerve to bring up starting a family. She watches as the boy falls asleep and she finally catches Maura's eye.
Maura gently lifts the boy off her lap without waking him and tucks him under Jane's jacket once again. She walks out of the room as slowly as possible so her heels make little noise against the tile and shuts the door before telling Jane she has finished looking over the bodies.
Jane stops her for a moment, steps closer to her and kisses her, slowly and sweetly. She can't help it. She falls for Maura more and more every day. And seeing her with Aaron, seeing how gentle and caring she is, it makes her love her even more.
When she pulls back, Maura gives her that award winning smile. "What was that for?"
"I love you" is her only answer as she smiles back. "So what did you find?" She asks, stepping back into work mode.
"Both had injuries sustained by a small caliber bullet, most likely a .22 gauge handgun. The husband was killed first. A small bullet wound to the stomach, then a second to the chest. The bullet went through his heart causing pericardial tamponade and pulmonary edema which explains the blood on his chest from hemoptysis. He eventually succumbed to his wounds by asphyxiation."
Jane stares as always and waits for the English translation. She got about half of it but she'd rather give Maura a hard time.
"His heart and lungs filled with blood due to the trauma, he died from-"
"Suffocating on blood." Jane finishes. "You couldn't just say that?" She asks sarcastically. "What about mom? Dumb it down for me please."
"Two bullets to the abdomen caused major intraperitoneal hemorrhage. She most likely went into shock and bled to death internally while unconscious." Maura explains while pointing to the entry points in the woman's stomach.
Jane grimaces. "Did she suffer?" She wonders.
"I can't promise she didn't." Maura answers regretfully. "The sooner she went into shock the less pain she would have had to endure."
Jane hopes shock was immediate for the sake of Aaron's mother. "Our suspect wasn't a marksman." Jane comments based on the lousy shots.
"No stippling or GSR means the suspect was likely more than 5 feet from the victims when he fired." Maura adds.
"Anything else?" Jane questions.
"I was able to retrieve two rounds from the bodies that can be analyzed if a weapon is recovered." Maura says. "That's all I have until the lab tests get back."
"The caseworker from DCS should be here soon so we can question Aaron a little more." Jane notes.
She sees Maura frown and realizes that maybe mentioning child services to Maura wasn't a good idea. It's obvious she has deemed herself a protector of the young boy and Jane is making herself out to be the enemy by trying to deny that every minute.
She sighs and steps closer to Maura who remains terse. "Maura I'm sorry I-"
She's cut off by her phone beeping. She looks down and groans. "It's Frost. He has something." She explains. She gives Maura a soft peck on the cheek. "I love you." She says and it's more of a question than a statement. It's a question because she desperately needs Maura to answer back with the same three words. But she doesn't. And Jane sighs; her day seems to be full of disappointed sighs. She pulls back and out of Maura's space and doesn't hide the hurt on her face from Maura's cold shoulder. "We will talk later." Jane promises again before heading out.
Later. Is all Maura thinks of. It's always later with her lately. What happens when later is too late? Maura wonders before going back to work, her mind far from calm.