Chapter 8: Home

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC: 10:24am EDT

They were barely halfway through the morning, and Jane was already exhausted. To be fair, the last few days had taken their toll. She felt a little guilty that she was glad Casey was dead. More so, she felt bad that she was glad that her kids' dad was dead. She didn't feel all that guilty for being glad that the man who had hurt her and her kids so much was dead. Still, her kids lost their father. There was no way around that fact.

Jane felt better knowing that both Casey and his accomplice were no longer a threat to her family, but there were still unanswered questions about the case. Jane couldn't let her guard down yet. The biggest unanswered question being how the kids were kidnapped from their preschool without anyone seeing.

The kids had no memory of how they got from their school to the container box. In fact, it was unclear how much of their time in the box that they actually remembered (and to be honest, Jane was grateful for that part). However, nothing had been found in their blood, which had been drawn at the scene by the paramedics.

The last thing either kid remembered was going outside with their class to play on the playground. The school didn't notice that they were missing until their class went back inside, leaving a thirty-minute window when the kids could have been kidnapped.

At this point, though, the kids were very much over being questioned. Jane, Maura, Theo, and Isla had arrived at the FBI to give their statements just after 8am. Jane and Maura had each given their individual statements, and Theo and Isla had been questioned by Booth, Aubrey, and the FBI psychologist, but they hadn't gotten any additional insight into the case. Jane's biggest fear was that there was a third accomplice still out there that they didn't know about.

One thing was for sure, the kids would not be going back to preschool – their old school or a new one – until they figured out how they were taken.

They also still hadn't found Maura's money. Although, Jane was more concerned about the money than Maura was – Maura didn't care if she never saw the money again as long as the kids were safe.

"Aunt Maura, can I sit on your lap?" Theo asked, leaning over in his chair to be closer to his new best friend.

"Of course, sweetie," Maura replied, holding her hands out for him. He quickly scrambled out of his chair and into Maura's lap. Isla, who was in the seat on Theo's other side, looked sadly between Maura with Theo and Jane, who was standing just outside the glass doors talking to Aubrey. "Do you want to sit with us too?" Maura asked the little girl kindly.

Isla smiled and nodded happily before jumping out of her seat and joining her brother on Maura's lap.

"Aunt Maura, are you gonna live at our house?" Theo asked.

Maura smiled, and her heart clenched at Theo's words. She would love nothing more than to live with Jane and the kids, but it was probably way too soon to even consider that. Still, she couldn't bring herself to say no…just in case. She also couldn't lie to them. "I don't know where I'm going to life," she answered honestly. "I'm hoping to stay here for a little while, but I'll have to return to Paris soon for a few weeks. I have to finish my job, as well as pack up my home. As soon as I can, though, I'm going to move back to the United States, and I plan to live here in Virginia."

"Because we live here?" Isla asked with a huge smile on her face.

Maura laughed lightly. "Yes, because the three of you live here, and I'd like to live closer to you guys," she said truthfully.

"Then, you should life with us," Isla said.

"And I don't want you to go back to…whatever you said," Theo said. "I like you here…always."

Maura smiled sadly. "I wish I didn't have to, but I do have to go back to Paris for a little bit," she said. "But it's not goodbye forever. Just for a little bit. Then, I'll be around so much, you'll wish I would leave," she teased.

Theo lit up as he remembered something. "We learned how to say goodbye at school," he said excitedly.

"What do you mean you learned how to say goodbye?" Maura asked, confused. She may not know a lot about kids, but she knew that they typically learned the words hello and goodbye at a much younger age.

"Like this," Isla said as she kissed her hand and then blew on her hand towards Maura, blowing her a kiss. Isla's face fell slightly as she added, "You're supposed to do it back."

But Maura's brain was already cycling through her own memories, and she didn't hear Isla's comment. "Who taught you to say goodbye like that?" she asked.

"Well, mama does it at bedtime awot," Theo said.

"But a teacher told us that we could say goodbye that way, too," Isla added.

"Your teacher?" Maura said.

"No, not our teacher," Isla answered. "I don't know what teacher he was, maybe the little kids, cus we're big kids now. The little kids were playing outside too, though."

Maura stood up quickly, surprising both Isla and Theo. She set them on the chair she had been sitting in and said, "Stay here. I'll be right back. Don't move, okay?"

They both nodded, but she could tell that her quick change in demeanor was scaring them a little bit. She still decided she needed to get Jane before she did anything else.

Maura nearly ran to the conference room door. "Jane!" she said quickly as she swung the door open.

Jane whipped her head around in concern. "Are the kids, okay?" she said quickly, immediately starting to walk into the conference room. Maura stopped her, grabbing her arm before she could move any further.

"Yes, it's not…yes, they're okay, but they just told me something, and…" Maura started.

"Wait, what?" Jane said, finally turning her attention to Maura.

"They said a teacher taught them how to say goodbye," Maura said quickly. "They said that a teacher on the playground at their school…not their teacher…one they didn't know...the teacher showed them how to blow kisses to say goodbye."

Maura could tell by the look on both Jane's and Aubrey's faces that they didn't understand.

"Scopolamine," Maura said. "Devil's breath. Remember, it was used on me when I was framed for my date's murder?"

"You what?" Aubrey said in surprise.

"Not now," Jane said, waving absently in his direction. "Wait, you think the same thing…"

"Does the hospital or the lab still have their blood from that night?" Maura interrupted Jane.

"I don't know," Jane said.

"I'll call Hodgins," Aubrey added, pulling his phone from his pocket.

While the phone rang, Maura continued, "It wouldn't be in their bodies anymore, but if their blood was stored properly, it should still be detectable. It's not a part of the standard drug panel."

"Hey, Aubrey," Hodgins answered the phone.

"Hey, Hodgins," Aubrey replied. "Do you still have Isla or Theo's blood that the paramedics drew that night?"

"Yeah, some, why?" Hodgins asked.

"Can you test for scopolamine?" Maura asked, not bothering to wait for Aubrey to answer.

"Devil's breath?" Hodgins said in surprise. Then, frustration lacing his voice, he said, "Why didn't I think of that?! Yeah, I'm on it. I'll call you as soon as I have results."

"Thanks Hodgins," Aubrey said, but Hodgins had already hung up the phone. To Jane he added, "We have to talk to the kids again."

Family room, Jane's home, Alexandria, VA: 9:01pm

Once Maura realized how the kids had been drugged, the rest of the pieces fell into place easily. Their blood tested positive for scopolamine, and the crime scene techs returned to the school with a better idea of what to look for this time.

It took them a few hours to find out Casey's source to acquire the drug, but when they did so, they realized that it was a man who had been in basic training with Casey but dropped out without completing the training. He was a nobody that mostly lived on the streets, but he had access to multiple drug dealers. Jane didn't know nor care why Casey trusted him to help.

He had been the one to actually take the kids from their school. Once they had his picture, multiple kids in Theo and Isla's class had identified him as "someone they'd seen before." When they picked him up, he cracked after only 20 minutes in the interrogation room with Booth and Aubrey. Casey had promised him $5 million dollars from the ransom for his help. The creep also told them that Casey had promised "his hacker friend" $5 million. As part of a deal to have an opportunity for parole on his life sentence, he handed over the account number to which Casey was supposed to transfer his payment. It would take a couple of days, but Angela was confident she would be able to get Maura's money back.

"They're asleep," Jane said as she dropped onto the couch next to Maura, and Maura could tell that her friend was exhausted.

"I'm glad," Maura said quietly, her gaze dropping to her hands.

"Are you okay?" Jane asked after watching her friend fidget for a few moments.

"I'm feeling an overwhelming rush of emotions," Maura said.

Jane snorted. "Let me guess – relief, anger, love…" Jane said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Among other things," Maura replied shakily.

"Hey, what's going on?" Jane said, concern evident in her voice. She leaned closer to Maura, gently placing her hand on Maura's knee.

Maura took a deep breath. "What happens now?" she asked tearily, finally looking back up at Jane.

"What do you mean?" Jane asked.

"Please don't misunderstand me," Maura said. "I'm so incredibly glad that this is over. It's just…I don't know how to say this…"

Jane gently squeezed Maura's knee in understanding. "You know…the good parts don't have to be over," she said softly. "I think I understand what you're trying to say. Don't worry. I don't think for a second that you wanted this case to go on any longer. I know you wanted to catch Casey's accomplices.

"But you don't want this to end," she said, waving her hand around to indicate them…their family…being together.

Maura shook her head. "I've missed you so much," she choked out. "And I felt it when I first saw you again, but I don't think I let myself feel all of it until now. There were too many more important things going on.

"But Theo told me he didn't want me to go back to Paris even for a short time. All I wanted to do was tell him I wouldn't go, even though I knew that I have to go. And they were both asking me where I was going to live, but I didn't know what to tell them. I didn't really process any of what they were saying then because that's what led to the 'saying goodbye' conversation, and obviously that took precedence. But now that were home…I mean here, in your home…now that we have a moment of quiet, it's all just hitting me," Maura said, tears flowing thick and fast down her cheeks the entire time.

Jane pulled Maura into an awkward side-hug, resting her cheek on the top of Maura's head. "I missed you, too," Jane said after a few moments of silence. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, just holding onto each other, but Jane couldn't get one particular word from what Maura said out of her head. "You called this home," she pointed out quietly.

Maura squeezed her eyes shut and held onto Jane a little tighter. "Jane, you've always been my home," she said honestly. "Five years apart hasn't changed that."

"Would it be completely ridiculous to ask you if you wanted to move in here instead of getting your own place?" Jane asked, vulnerability lacing her voice.

"What?" Maura said. She sat up so quickly that her head bumped Jane's chin on the way up, but neither of them cared.

"I'm sorry," Jane said quickly. "I didn't…I shouldn't…I-I…" she tried to backtrack.

"Are…are you serious?" Maura asked.

"I…yeah…yes, I am. Is that crazy?" she asked.

Maura opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to make some words…any words come out. She wanted to say yes. Oh god, she wanted to say yes, but were they crazy? Probably. Did she care? Not really.

"Are you sure?" she asked uncertainly. "I-I want to. I really, really want to. It's just…if I move in and you change your mind…"

Jane smirked. "And what if you change your mind?" she asked, knowing that Maura's answer was exactly the same as hers.

"I won't," Maura said, a shy smile tugging at her lips.

"So why exactly do you think I'm gonna change my mind?"

Maura's face fell. "Because one day, you might remember how much I hurt you," she said.

Jane sighed. "We hurt each other," she said truthfully. "I'm not saying we don't have a lot to work through…we do. I just…I wanna do it together. You're worth it, Maura. You're so, so worth it. I'm not going to change my mind. I do need to talk to the kids, but I can't imagine they will be against it. If they are, we'll figure it out, but I just really don't see that happening."

"Well, they sort of already asked me to," Maura said.

Jane snorted in amusement. "Of course, they did," she said. "They're not shy about asking for what they want," she teased.

Maura laughed. Sobering, she added, "Obviously, you should still talk to them. But, well, I know you know better than I do, but do they really understand what that means? It's a big change for them, too. I'm not sure they realize…"

"I mean, you're right that they don't really understand what they're asking," Jane said. "They sorta get it, but they don't really have a sense of the long-term. Still, I think it might be good for them. They're going to struggle with everything that's happened the last few days. I know right now they seem fine, but there are going to be lasting effects. They're gonna need professional help. They're gonna be scared. They're gonna be angry. And they're gonna grieve their dad, eventually.

"I think it might be good for them to also have something positive but also new in their lives," she continued. "And I don't say that lightly. I'm not saying that you're replacing Casey for them. You never could, but neither I nor them would ever want you to, either. I also wouldn't just say this about anyone…actually, there's no one else I would say this about.

"You're great with them, Maura. You're great for them," she said emphatically. "And they love you so much. So, is it crazy? Maybe, but it also feels right…at least for the three of us. It needs to be right for you, too, though. You absolutely don't have to say yes. You can find a house or apartment nearby, and we can…"

"I want to," Maura interrupted. "God, Jane, you have no idea how much I want to."

"Yeah?" Jane said, a huge smile taking over her face.

"Yeah," Maura replied, her own smile rivaling Jane's in size and brightness. She leaned forward, giving Jane a soft kiss, but neither of them could keep the smiles off their faces long enough to deepen the kiss.

They both leaned back against the couch, but they were sitting close enough that their arms and thighs were pressed together. Jane leaned her head on Maura's shoulder, and Maura rested her cheek on Jane's head.

"I didn't give any warning before leaving work," Maura said. "I told them yesterday that I was staying here until the case was closed, but since it's closed now…I don't know. I don't know what you're okay with either, but my initial thought was maybe I'd stay a week before going back to Paris. I'd like to say I'll be back in two-weeks, but realistically, with work and packing up my apartment, it's probably going to be around a month."

"I definitely think you should stay a week," Jane said. "Nina's due any day now, so maybe you could even come up to Boston with us and see everyone."

"Oh!" Maura said. She hadn't thought about what it would be like to see everyone else.

"Hey, it's okay," Jane said, grabbing Maura's hand to comfort her. "They'll all be thrilled to see you. It'll be okay, I promise, but you really don't need to worry about that right now."

Maura nodded. "Okay, yeah, I'll think about that later," she said weakly.

"But um, well, how would you feel about having some visitors?" Jane said uncertainly.

"You mean, like, have them come here? That doesn't really seem realistic," Maura said.

Jane laughed and lifted her head to look at Maura, who had a very confused look on her face. "No, I meant in Paris, you goof," she said, and she smiled when Maura's eyes lit up. "I was thinking it might be good for me and the kids to get away for a little bit. I know they have to go back to school eventually, but honestly, I'm not really ready for that right now. And I can't imagine that the FBI will care if I take a few weeks off. The kids have never been to another country. What if…what if we came with you? We could help you pack. The three of us could explore Paris while you're at work. The four of us can be tourists on weekends."

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" Maura said excitedly, throwing her arms around Jane. "I absolutely love that idea. I would love to show you and the kids Paris. And I really, really don't want to be away from you or the kids for a month. How…how long do you plan to take off of work?"

Jane shrugged. "I'm not sure," she said. "I'd been thinking about this all afternoon, but I never really thought about how long. Why?"

Maura chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "Well, if you thought you could be away longer…I completely understand if you can't…but if you thought you could extend it, maybe we could add a week or two to the end and take a real vacation together somewhere in Europe. Just the four of us. No work. No stress. Just us."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Jane said, happiness permeating her entire being. "Let me talk to Booth tomorrow. Then, we can figure out the details, okay?"

"Okay," Maura said with a smile. "I love you, Jane. I love you so much, and I love Isla and Theo more than anything," she whispered before leaning forward to capture Jane's lips in a loving kiss.

Jane responded instantly, pulling Maura closer to her as she deepened the kiss. "I love you, too, and I can't wait for what's to come."

"Me neither."

A/N: So, I had planned from the beginning for the kids to have been kidnapped under the influence of scopolamine, which was used on Maura in the Rizzoli and Isles episode The Killer in High Heels (the one where she's framed for murder). However, I didn't look up details of the drug until I actually got to this chapter. Turns out, the use of scopolamine in this way (brainwashing and controlling the victim by blowing it in their face) is exaggerated in the media/crime shows. I know R&I did that kind of stuff a lot (and it bugs me), but I usually try to stick closer to the truth, so…oops, lol.

One more chapter.