Hey…I hope you all enjoy this one. We are heading towards some dangerous times but rest assured, our ladies will prevail in the end, but it might not be especially easy getting there. Anyway…I have a question to pose for those of you who have enjoyed this (and there is still a lot more to come). I was wondering, if I were to write something original…something with my own characters…would you be interested in reading? And if I did…should I keep the pen name I use here? I look forward to hearing your opinions and as always…Thanks for reading, reviewing, and the messages. Have a good week…
Hero Takes a Fall
"Please tell me you've got something." Jane slipped into the booth across from Frost and peered at him over the rim of her paper cup as she sipped her coffee.
He slid a scone her direction but wouldn't meet her eyes as he concentrated on his own delicate pastry.
With a nod of thanks, Jane took a bite then scowled as she wiped the crumbs off her chin. "We should've met at Carly's. Her scones are much better." She looked up to see a young woman with brunette hair smiling their way and even though Frost was trying to keep up with his serious expression, she saw the slightest smile of acknowledgment. "Hmmm, so that's why we met here." The frown did little to help lighten the mood at the table causing her to set her coffee down and level her gaze at Frost who still hadn't looked at her. "How bad is it?" She blew out a heavy breath as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, preparing herself for bad news.
Looking over at the young woman who was beaming his way, Frost let out a slow hiss of air and then turned his attention to Jane and her impatient fidgeting. "It's bad…" he swallowed hard before dropping his eyes to study something of interest in his coffee cup.
"I'm on pins and needles here, man. Wanna give me a clue?" She leaned back and crossed her arms. It wasn't like Frost to play games or make her wait like this so whatever it was she knew would just add another piece to the already huge puzzle they were working on.
"That second number in Sean's phone…the one I took," he began to tap his fingers on the table anxiously as he hesitated. "It belongs to the Irish Mob…as in the Irish Mob in Ireland."
"Okay…" she dropped her arms and placed her hands on the table, palms down. This she could deal with but there was something about the look of uncertainty in Frost's eyes that had her wondering what was next.
"That's not all…" Frost reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with several names written on it. "You see this list?" He pointed to the names.
Jane craned her neck to get a better look and then nodded to indicate he should continue.
"This is a list of the highest-ranking individuals in the organization." He tapped his finger over a specific name that he had highlighted. "And this guy right here at number two, is Sean's brother."
"Seamus O'Donnell…" Jane couldn't stop herself from touching the highlighted name and running her finger over the black letters as if they might magically disappear. "This is big, isn't it?" She looked up at Frost with an expectant look on her face.
"I don't think it was an accident that this number was left in the phone." He quickly scooped up the piece of paper when the brunette waitress brought them a refill of coffee. As graciously as he could manage under the circumstances, he smiled and thanked the young woman who did her best not to look like she was checking Jane out.
"Um…we still on for tomorrow night?" The waitress had a hopeful look on her face as she topped off Frost's cup.
"Yeah, so far I'm still free." He gave her a genuine smile this time, one that reached his dark, brown eyes and set her at ease.
"Okay, good…" The young woman now gave her attention to Jane's cup. "I'll see ya later than." Her smile was radiant as she left them to get back to their conversation.
When they were alone again, Jane blew out a long sigh and shook her head. "We'll get to that later…but finish what you were saying…"
"Well…" He clasped his hands in front of his coffee cup and pondered for a moment as he sorted out his thoughts. "I think Sean knew that Paddy would go to you with the phone."
"Okay, that makes sense but why leave the number in there? What if he hadn't given it to me?" Jane tugged on her bottom lip as her mind raced through several different scenarios.
"That's why it was buried, encrypted so to speak. I have no doubt they know about my 'special' skills." He said dryly as he used air quotes.
"So, you think Sean wanted us to figure out who was involved." Her already dark eyes darkened at the prospect of having to do what she already knew Frost was going to suggest.
"What I think is that he wanted to leave an open line of communication with you and by leaving that number in the phone…" Frost reached up to rub his chin. "I think they want you to contact them."
"What?" Jane waved her hands around impatiently. "Do I just pick up the phone and call this number and be all like…hey…I'm a cop in Boston and I think you killed my girlfriends brother whose dad happens to run the Irish mob here…" Her voice escalated slightly.
"Not exactly." Frost tried not to sound irritated by Jane's tone but he couldn't blame her for it either. "I think we'll start with a burner phone first." He said with a serious look on his face. "Then, you and I will go out for a few drinks…maybe hit a club or two…" he started to say but Jane was having none of this idea.
"Wait, you want to go out drinking and clubbing…what the hell?" She scowled at his idea.
"If you give me a minute to explain…" he looked around the small coffee shop to see if anyone was listening and then decided it would be best to continue this conversation somewhere more private. "Look, I've got an idea but I don't think this is the best place to go over it."
Jane sat up straight in her seat, suddenly realizing the severity of the situation. With a nod, she indicated she understood and accepted what he said with no argument. "Come to dinner tomorrow night."
"I have a date." His eyes moved to where the waitress stood across the room helping someone pick out just the right muffin for their breakfast.
"Bring her." Jane couldn't help but look over as well and she smiled slyly. "Second date material, huh?" She tried not to laugh.
"So far, so good." He gave a shy smile in return. "Are you sure Maura won't mind?"
"Nah, it's all good." She tried to hide her uncertainty behind her coffee cup as she brought it up to her lips to take a sip. "It will look like a casual dinner party for friends and then we can…" she waved her hand between them, "finish this."
"Alright." He gave a quick nod and took another bite of his pastry. "You're right though, Carly's are so much better than these."
"Hey, Jane…" Frankie called out as he made his way across the restaurant towards them. He was dressed in his uniform and carried his hat tucked under an arm as he weaved in and out of the morning crowd waiting for their turn at the counter.
"Frankie…" Jane tipped her chin his direction to let him know she saw his approach.
"Have you talked to Ma today?" He waved her over and slipped into the booth alongside her.
"No…" Jane's voice sounded tentative. "What's wrong?" It was her MO to assume the worst where her mother was involved.
"Tommy's getting out early." Frankie let out a tired breath. "I've been on the phone with her all morning. She's trying to get a place for him to stay lined up and…"
"No way!" Jane jumped in with her answer even though Frankie hadn't even asked the question. "He cannot stay at Maura's."
Frankie turned to give her a funny look before he noticed her scone. "You gonna eat that?" He asked as he picked it up, not waiting for her answer. "You know I'd never ask that of you…and neither would Ma." He shrugged his shoulders as he took the first bite and made a face. "Carly's are better."
"Um, I don't have any room either…" Frost interjected as he watched Frankie chew and swallow the scone with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Nah man, I wasn't gonna ask you either." Frankie took another bite and contemplated what he was going to say next. "What I was wondering was…" he gave Jane an expectant look.
"You want to stay at my place, don't you?" The realization hit Jane like a wet sock as she tried to think of any reason why she should say no.
"You're at Maura's all the time now. I just thought that if I let Tommy stay at my place…which only has one room by the way…then I could stay at your place." He gave her a hopeful look and batted his eyes like he used to when they were kids and wanted something from Jane.
"Don't give me that baby doe look. You outgrew it years ago, when you stopped being cute." Jane laughed and then held up her hand when he started to protest. "But I will talk to Maura about making my presence more…" she paused as she tried to think of the right word.
"Permeant?" Frost threw out with an excited flare as if he was calling out Bingo.
"Okay smart ass…" Jane smirked at him. "But yeah."
"Thanks Janie. You're the best." Frankie wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tried to hug her but the sound of the radio on his shoulder coming to life had them both jerking back.
"Sounds like the streets are callin'." She gave Frankie a gentle push out of the booth. "And you own me a scone." She looked down at the last remaining crumbs that dotted the table, the only evidence she had even had one to begin with.
"Yeah, yeah…time to go be a hero." He made a pose like superman with his hands on his hips and smirked.
"Stay safe lil'bro." Jane couldn't help but laugh at his antics but she knew better than most how dangerous the most menial call could be.
"Call me later." He directed his attention to Frost and pretended to hold a phone next to his ear as he glanced over at the waitress and wiggled his eyebrows. The sound of a muffled voice over the radio cut him off again and he gave a quick wave before he dashed off.
Frost laughed as Frankie jockeyed his way through the crowd and out the door. When he turned back to Jane, she had a faraway look on her face and he cleared his throat to get her attention. "You worry about him, don't you." It wasn't a question.
"Every time he goes out there." She waved her hand in the direction Frankie had disappeared.
"It must be tough." He looked down into his cup again and wished his coffee hadn't gone cold.
"I guess I can kinda understand how my Ma feels. She has three times the worry with us kids." Jane pushed her hair over her shoulder and sighed heavily.
"Make that four with Maura back."
"Make that five…she loves you like one of her own." Jane reached over to take his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as the seriousness of the moment hit them both. The appearance of Frost's date at their table again had her withdrawing her hand quickly but not quick enough.
"More coffee…"
"No, thanks." Jane tried to move her cup away from the hovering carafe but didn't move quick enough as hot coffee spilled over the edges and onto her hand.
"Sorry…" but there wasn't even the barest hint of apology in the tone.
"Um, Julian…" Frost cleared his throat as the tension coming from the younger woman poured all over the table with the spilt coffee. "Jane and her girlfriend have invited us over to dinner tomorrow."
The angry scowl quickly disappeared from Julian's face when Frost's words sank in and her eyes widened. "That sounds great…" her voice sounded unnaturally higher than before. "Um, let me get you some napkins to wipe your hand off." She left and quickly returned with a stack of paper towels and a wet rag to wipe the table off. "Sorry about that."
Jane just smirked and looked at Frost. "No problem…my girlfriend likes red wine. Make sure he doesn't buy a cheap one." She waved towards her partner.
"As if I would ever bring Maura cheap wine." He feigned surprise and rolled his eyes dramatically.
Julian glanced back and forth between the two and then smiled at their banter. "I'm Julian by the way." She reached out to shake Jane's hand.
"And I'm Jane…" Jane took the hand in her own and gave it quick pump before releasing it.
"We're partners." Frost looked up at Julian and smiled.
"Except I'm the senior partner here." Jane puffed out her chest and grinned.
"There is no such thing as a senior partner." Frost huffed and crossed his arms.
"Yeah, there is." Jane glared at him and smirked again.
"No there isn't." He countered.
"Um, something tells me this could go on all day so I'll leave you to it. I look forward to dinner tomorrow and it was nice meeting you." Julian made a hasty retreat.
"She seems nice." Jane watched the young woman walk away.
"I suppose so…" Frost started to say but stopped when he noticed a commotion taking place outside the windows on the street. "Hey…something's going on." He pulled out his wallet and dropped a few bills on the table, waving away Jane's attempt at paying for her own. "Let's check it out."
Jane stood and followed Frost through the restaurant, giving Julian one last wave as they reached the door which was blocked by a growing crowd standing out in front.
"Police…let us through." Frost used his most intimidating voice as he struggled to push the door open with Jane right behind him.
A rush of adrenaline followed them both as they picked their way through the crowd, but for some reason dread settled in the pit of Jane's stomach the closer they got to the commotion. And when they finally broke free, her heart stopped and her legs buckled under her almost toppling her to the ground. The only thing keeping her on her feet was Frost's grip on her arm as they both scrambled to the spot where Frankie was kneeling, his hands covered in blood.
"Frankie…Frankie…look at me…" Jane dropped to her knees beside her brother and cupped his face in her hands. "Where are you hurt?" She gave him a gentle shake when he didn't respond. When he finally looked at her, his eyes were unfocused and he had a look of shock on his face.
"An ambulance is on the way." One of the spectators in the crowd holding a cell phone said above Jane.
Looking around for any clue as to what had happened, her eyes fell upon another uniformed officer kneeling on a man in handcuffs. When their eyes met, he shook his head and pressed his kneel harder against the man beneath him. It was then that she noticed the bloody knife on the ground next to them and she realized what had happened.
"Frankie…did he stab you? Where?" Jane was beginning to grow frantic as blood continued to drip from Frankie's hands. With a silent desperation, she began to pat him down and let out a sigh of relief when she realized he was wearing his vest and there didn't seem to be any puncture wounds.
"My hand…" Frankie struggled to speak.
Jane didn't wait for Frankie to say anything else as she grabbed his hand to find a deep gash along the palm stopping just above the inside of his wrist. Blood continued to flow and his hand was covered in a thick, red sticky coating making it difficult for her to see how bad it was. When the perpetrator began to struggle and rant, Jane shot him a murderous look spurring Frost into action.
"Take care of Frankie. I've got this." He jumped up to help the other officer with the unruly man and Jane gave him a grateful smile.
"Frankie, I need you to tell me if you're hurt anywhere else." Jane tried to get Frankie to focus on her and not the ranting, raving man who had hurt him in the first place.
"I don't think so…I just stopped to see if Pat need some help getting his cart across the street and he went ballistic…slashing at me with a knife." He spoke softly as he tried to hide the tremor in his voice.
Glancing over her shoulder, Jane realized it was 'Crazy Pat' pinned under Frost and the other officer. Everyone knew Crazy Pat, a middle aged homeless man that rarely gave anyone any trouble. He was an alcoholic who suffered from the beginning stages of dementia but up until then had never posed a threat to anyone. "Jesus Frankie…you know Crazy Pat isn't in his right mind."
"I've never had trouble from him before. He always lets me help…" Frankie's voice trailed off.
Jane just nodded as she fished her cell phone from her pocket. In the background, she could hear the sirens approaching and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She needed Maura. Needed to hear her voice, see her face and needed her presence to assure that everything was going to be okay.
"Detective Rizzoli…" A familiar voice snapped her out of her self-pity.
"Bobby…" Jane let out a sigh of relief when she recognized the approaching paramedic.
"You know the drill. He's in good hands now." Bobby's six-foot four frame hovered above Jane. "We'll meet you at Mass General." He said as he knelt next to Frankie. "Now get out of the way and let me do my job." This wasn't a request, it was an order.
The feeling of hands on her shoulders, helping her to her feet prompted her into action. "I've gotta call Maura…my Ma…" her voice trailed off as she struggled to find her voice.
"Detective..." Bobby called out. "He has a pretty deep cut here but nothing life threatening that I can see…" His eyes softened at the look of relief on Jane's face. "I just wanted you to know." He said and then went back to work.
"Thanks Bobby." Jane said, turning her attention to her phone and the speed dial that would put her one step closer to Maura.
Maura hadn't expected to find herself home in the middle of the afternoon but thanks to the promise she had made to herself to let Suzie take on more responsibility, that is exactly where she was…home. Her early day had not only surprised her but Angela who she found in the kitchen trying out a new cookie recipe. The disappointment that it wasn't Jane quickly faded with a cup of tea and a handful of shortbread cookies as she sat at the kitchen bar and chatted with Angela about everything from the weather to the wedding. So, when her phone rang, she pushed it away at first, thinking that it might be work but the call came again so she glanced down to see it was Jane.
"Hey sweetheart." Maura said with a sing-song voice as she munched on another cookie.
"Maura…" Jane's voice was tight with tension as she did her best to control the tears that threatened to overcome her.
Maura stiffened at the sound of Jane's voice. Something was wrong, something big and she braced herself for the words she knew would follow.
"It's Frankie…" Jane said, pausing to catch her breath. "He was hurt in the line of duty…but it doesn't look like it's life threatening. Meet us at Mass General…please…I need you." The words were barely audible as the tears started to flow.
"I'm on my way." Maura didn't hesitate. "I've got your mother here with me. I'll tell her and bring her with me."
"Ma…Oh my god…I've got to tell her…" Jane's voice sounded more strangled as she tried to speak.
"I've got this Jane…go on. We'll be right behind you."
"Okay." Jane said meekly. "Maura…" she paused to wipe the tears from her face. "I love you."
"I love you too." Maura hit the red button on her phone to end the call and looked up to find a very anxious and expectant look on Angela's face.
"Frankie or Jane?" Angela's voice warbled under the emotional strain of not knowing what was going on.
"Frankie…but it isn't life threatening." Maura tried to add quickly to alleviate some of the strain threatening to bring Angela down.
"Let's go." Angela pulled off her apron and dropped in the counter. Without another word, she headed straight for the front door.
Maura looked around, not quite sure what to do next. The sound of an impatiently taping foot caused her to jump off the bar stool she was sitting on and grab her keys and purse from the counter. With one last glance around the kitchen, she made sure everything was turned off and followed Angela out the door doing her best not to let her emotions take over.
The drive to the hospital started out in silence but Maura was grateful for the time to contemplate her feelings. She tried not to dwell on the fact that she was grateful it was Jane's voice on the other end of the phone but the guilt that was beginning to eat away at her was making it difficult. All she wanted to do was hold Jane in her arms and never let her go. She glanced over at Angela who was sitting with her hands tightly clasped in her lap and a clenched jaw and the guilt almost overwhelmed her. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her arm that she realized Angela was talking to her.
"It's okay Maura. Jane's been to hell and back. It's okay for you to be glad it wasn't her."
Maura blinked back the tears that threatened to fall as she struggled to find something to say. When nothing came she just nodded mutely.
"I've had a lot of time to get used to this but I don't think I ever will." Angela let out a heavy breath. "That's why I know it can't be easy for you either."
"How do you do it?" Maura finally found her voice.
"I just take each day as it comes and try not to dwell on it. I know it's just a matter of time before I get another phone call…" Angela looked out the window at the world as it passed by in a blur. "It's who they are Maura. How can I ask them to change who they are?"
"You can't…" Maura said with a sigh. A sadness swept over her as the truth of Angela's statement settled deep inside of her. No matter what happened, she could never ask Jane to give up the job she loved so much.
As they turned into the parking lot, Maura pulled around to the front door to let Angela out but went back around to find a parking spot when she got a firm 'NO' in response at her attempt to be gallant.
"We go in together, Maura." Angela said as she slipped her harm through Maura's and led her across the parking lot.
Maura didn't try to argue. She was just grateful to have Angela's sturdy frame to help keep her upright, or maybe it was the other way around…at this point she wasn't sure.
As the elevator doors opened to the fourth floor, the first thing that caught Maura's attention was the start white walls and florescent white lights that made everything appear washed out and colorless. It was the shock of black, unruly hair and charcoal gray suit against that stark white that caught her attention and before she had time to contemplate it, Jane was in her arms holding her tight.
"Maura…" Jane breathed against Maura's neck as her body shook. "He's okay…he's gonna be okay." She squeezed so tight that Maura thought she might not be able to breath. Squeezing back, she allowed Jane to take what she needed.
"What happened?" Maura pulled back to look at Jane. Pushing a strand of dark hair away from dark eye's marred by dark rings, Maura couldn't help but marvel at how much Jane contrasted with the whiteness of the walls and lights.
"He was trying to help Crazy Pat, but…I don't know…something happened and Crazy Pat started slashing with a knife. Got him right here…" Jane held up her hand to show Maura what she was talking about.
"Jane you know how I feel about you calling him that. Mental illness isn't something to made light of." Maura scowled.
"Can we save the lecture for later, Maura…please." Jane looked exhausted.
"I'll go talk to the doctor and find out what's going on." Maura pulled away from Jane's hold and went in search of a doctor. Her feelings had been hurt but she needed to keep things in perspective. Jane was dealing with a lot now and being politically correct was the last thing on mind at the moment.
"She's mad at me." Jane turned to her mother before wrapping her arms around her.
"She'll be alright Jane. Take me to Frankie." Angela was holding together remarkable well, giving Jane a moment of pause to admire her.
"Yeah, he's in here. They want to keep him over night to start some antibiotics but things look good. No tendons or nerves were affected." Jane led her mother to Frankie's room, all the while looking for Maura who seemed to have disappeared.
Maura glanced over her shoulder to see Jane leading Angela down the hall and decided to take a detour to the waiting room to gather her thoughts. Her emotions were all over the place even though it didn't show, but Jane had hurt her feelings and it stung none the less. She wasn't even at all sure why, because Jane hadn't intentionally been insensitive about her choice of words when talking about Pat.
She was surprised to find Vince Korsak leaning against the far wall with a cup of coffee in his hand and his head down. He looked tired and his shoulders sagged under weight of all that had happened that day. When he looked up and saw her, his smile was sad but genuine and he waved her over.
"Vince…" Maura tried to smile back.
"Hey Doc." He held up his coffee, silently asking if she wanted some.
Shaking her head, she tried not to make a face at the prospect of drinking coffee from a vending machine. "What do you know?" She asked, hoping he could give what Jane hadn't been able to.
"Looks good." The shrug of his shoulders wasn't very convincing. "No permanent damage."
"Do you know what happened?" She leaned against the wall next to him.
"From what I heard, he was trying to help Crazy Pat with his cart but something happened…" he hesitated and shrugged his shoulders again. "Not sure what, but he just pulled out a knife and started to slash at Frankie."
"So, it's a defensive wound…" Maura mused out loud as she thought about what Jane had said about Frankie's hand.
"Yeah, seems that way." Vince took a sip of his coffee and grimaced at the taste. "They said it's superficial. No tendons or muscles were affected. He's lucky though…it didn't miss his wrist by much. I guess that could have been bad." He gave Maura a questioning glance.
"Yeah…that could have been bad." Maura nodded sagely. "There's a major artery in the wrist…" her voice trailed off as she contemplated the alternative ending to this story.
"Hey…" Vince wrapped his arm around Maura's shoulder causing her to stiffen slightly. She still wasn't used to people touching or showing affection even though she had no trouble doing it with Jane. "The waiting is always the hard part."
"No, not always." Maura didn't stop to censor herself and by the look of confusion on Vince's face she knew she needed to elaborate. "Yes, the waiting is hard…but in reality…every day is hard." She let out a heavy breath. Her strength was starting to waver and the cracks in her façade were beginning to show.
"I know it's not easy to love a cop." Vince gave her a gentle squeeze. "But when it's in our blood…this job…you can't ask us to change that."
"I know that more than anyone." Maura let out a sad sigh. "I would never ask Jane to give up what she loves. But…sometimes…" she looked away from him so he wouldn't see the tears that began to glisten in her eyes.
"Sometimes it's hard." He finished what she didn't. "I've been married more times than I can count and each time, the main conflict was my job."
"I'm sorry Vince. I'm really trying to be the understanding…soon to be wife." Maura gave a half smile as she thought about their upcoming wedding.
"You know she has the same chance of getting in a car accident on the way to work as she does getting hurt on the job." It was his way of trying to make her feel better.
She couldn't help but chuckle at his comment. Even though it wasn't exactly true, he was trying to make her feel better and she appreciated the effort. "Thank you, Vince. I'll keep that in mind." Looking up, she saw Jane come around the corner with a relieved smile on her face and their eyes met causing Jane's smile to widen.
"Hey…" Jane looked tired but hopeful. "You can go see him now." She said to Vince but her eyes never left Maura's.
"Yep…" Vince said with a quick nod of his head as he left the two women alone.
"You alright?" Jane asked when they were alone, her voice barely a whisper.
"I should be asking you the same thing." Maura placed her hands on either side of Jane's face.
"I'm sorry…" Jane let out a heavy breath and pulled Maura into her arms.
"Whatever for?" The apology had surprised Maura and confused her as well.
"For making you worry." Jane laid her head on Maura's shoulder and closed her eyes. "I know how you must feel every time you send me off to work, not knowing if I'll come home."
"I've come to terms with it Jane." Maura lifted Jane's head from her shoulder and forced Jane to look at her. "It's never easy not knowing…but that's the way of life. There are no guarantees. This…" Maura tapped the shield on Jane's hip. "This is what you love and I would never ask you to change that about yourself."
Jane dropped her head and let out another heavy breath. "I promise not to take any risks." She said as her fingers dug into Maura's hips, pulling them closer to each other.
"Don't make promises you can't keep, sweetheart, but I appreciate the sentiment." Maura pulled Jane into a hug. "Now tell me what's going on with Frankie. I haven't found the Doctor yet but I will make sure he gets the best treatment."
"Why don't you come with me and find out for yourself." Jane began to pull Maura with her away from the waiting room. "He's gonna be fine. He needed about thirty-eight stitches in his hand but all in all…it could have been worse."
"He was wearing his vest?" Maura asked. It had been a sore point for them because Jane didn't wear it nearly enough for Maura's liking.
"Yeah…" Jane gave a sheepish grin. She knew how Maura felt about it.
When they arrived at Frankie's room, Jane stopped and pulled Maura to the side. The question in Maura's eyes had her swallowing hard. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous about what she was going to ask because she already knew what Maura was going to say, but she still had to ask.
"Um…Tommy is getting out early…" Jane hesitated as she struggled to sound somewhat intelligent. "And I was wondering…" she continued but was stopped when Maura held up her hand to interrupt.
"I've been waiting for the right time to ask you to move in with me." Maura gave a gentle smile to alleviate Jane's apparent stress. "So yes…please."
"I love you…" Jane wrapped Maura in her arms and pulled her close. "And no matter what you say…I promise to be more careful out there." She whispered into Maura's ear.
Maura held tight to Jane and took her words at face value, knowing that what she said was true even if it was misguided. They would have stayed like that longer if it hadn't been for Frankie's voice calling to get Jane's attention.
"Jane…oh, my, God…would you please tell Ma, I can take of myself!" Frankie's elevated voice pushed them apart.
Turning her attention to the commotion taking place in Frankie's room, Jane took Maura by the hand and pulled her along with her. Even though she understood her mother's need to take care of Frankie, she also understood the need for independence.
"Janie…I want Frankie to stay with me so I can watch over him. Is that so much to ask?" Angela crossed her arms and glared at Jane daring her to disagree.
Maura could see the dilemma that Jane was struggling with so she took the initiative and spoke up. "Angela…if it makes you feel any better, I will have a homecare nurse check on Frankie twice a day to make sure his bandage gets changed correctly. Also, I think it would be best for him to stay at Jane's place, that way Tommy can have Frankie's apartment when he gets out." She was expecting everything from the full-blown tantrum and argument to try to convince her that was a bad idea but Angela looked as if she were contemplating Maura's idea. Angela had a thoughtful expression on her face as she looked up at Maura and nodded her agreement.
"Okay, as long as I get to bring him lunch and dinner." Angela crossed her arms and dared anyone in the room to argue with her.
"Um…we're gonna head out to let you guys finish here." Vince said as he grabbed Frost by the arm and pulled him towards the door.
Frost stopped and looked over at Jane, not sure he should ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue but his action had drawn the attention of everyone so he went ahead and asked. "Um…we still on for dinner tomorrow?"
"Um…yeah…" Jane mumbled as Frost made a hasty exit.
"Dinner?" Maura asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I kinda invited Frost and his new girl over to our place for dinner tomorrow night." Jane's shoulders dropped as she prepared herself for Maura's wrath, but instead of anger, Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's neck and pulled her down into a kiss, surprising everyone in the room. When they pulled away, Jane had a confused look on her face. "You're not mad that I didn't ask you first?"
"Oh, we'll talk about that later but this is the first time you've ever referred to my place as our place. I like how it sounds." A silly grin filled Maura's face.
Angela jumped up and wrapped her arms around them both in a hug. "It's about time you made it official."
Jane winced at the strength of her mother's hug, but the look of relief and the mouthed 'thank-you' from Frankie made her laugh. She had successfully taken the attention away from her brother in a positive way, leaving him to recover without being smothered.
With a quick glance over her shoulder, Angela glared at Frankie letting him know he wasn't off the hook just yet. "If you two don't mind staying here with Frankie for a while…I'm gonna run down to Romero's to get a pizza and salad to bring back for us to share." She grabbed her purse and headed towards the door without waiting for an answer. "And no special requests…you get what you get." And with that last statement she disappeared.
"You think she's alright?" Frankie had a concerned look on his face.
"Yeah…she's tougher than we give her credit for." Jane gave one last look towards the empty doorway, knowing she was right.
"Thanks Maura…" Frankie reached out to take her hand with his good hand. "I appreciate you letting Jane move in with you so I can move into her place."
"It was only a matter of time Frankie." Maura gave Jane a curious look. "Although I'm not sure I understand why she insisted on keeping that place when she spends all of her time at my house."
"Hey…" Jane waved her hands in the air in defense. "I've got a few months before the lease it up."
"Likely excuse." Maura pointed a finger at Jane in accusation. "I just think you don't want me to see your tennis shoe collection."
Jane cringed and looked away from Maura and the finger that was poking her squarely in the chest.
"You always make fun of me and my shoe obsession. Funny thing is that you have the same obsession…except where I have taste in my shoes…you…" Maura hesitated before finishing. "Don't…" she laughed at the expression on Jane's face.
"Caught red handed." Jane couldn't deny that she had a fetish for tennis shoes. Her closet was filled with them…some she hadn't even worn yet. "Shall we call it even?"
"I suppose we could work out something." Maura laughed. "However, I'm not sure where all of those shoes are going to go when you move in."
"Hey…they can go in the closet next to your shoes." Jane tried not to look annoyed that Maura was trying to make fun of her shoe obsession when Maura's shoes had their own closet.
"We'll see about that…" Maura waved off Jane and turned her attention to Frankie who was laughing uncontrollably. "I'm glad you're okay Frankie." She shivered as the thought of how things could have been different crossed her mind. "I'm going to go make arrangements for that home healthcare visit I promised your mother."
"Make sure she's cute." Frankie called out to Maura's back as she left. All he got in return was a dismissive wave of the hand.
"You're such a dog." Jane frowned at him and Maura's absence. The only thing that made her feel better was the small smile and mouthed 'I love you' she got as Maura left them alone. There had been so much left unsaid between them, things they would need to talk about eventually but Jane was grateful for the reprieve. In her heart, she knew the worst was yet to come before they could have some peace in their lives. With everything going on, the odds were stacked against them but that did little to deter her from being hopeful that they had a long and happy future ahead of them. All she needed to do now was find out what Frost's plan was and move towards putting all of this behind them so they could move forward. "Move over…" she pushed Frankie's legs over and sat down on the bed to look at her brother, thankful that this time everything had turned out okay because as hard as she tried to be optimistic, she couldn't help but feel that the next time might not end so well.