A/N: Trigger warning, child victim mentioned this chapter (Not Liam, I'm not that horrible).
"Get away from me. You're no better than your father Jane. You're just like him."
Maura's eyes burned with an angry intensity that Jane had never seen before and the sharp barb hit where it hurt. Jane stumbled back and fell down onto the couch absolutely shattered by the words. She opened her mouth to reply but found that she had nothing she could say to the accusation. Instead she clamped her mouth shut and glared angrily at her wife; she couldn't blame her for the low blow, but it sure as hell raised her hackles.
Everywhere you look now, murder incorporated, murder incorporated.
Jane's Bruce Springsteen inspired ringtone for dispatch broke the silence that engulfed the room. She retrieved the phone from the coffee table and answered gruffly, her eyes never leaving Maura. "Rizzoli!"
Maura rolled her eyes at the ringtone, suddenly perturbed by her wife's sense of humour, but before she could say anything she watched the colour drain from Jane's face and instinctively knew it was bad. Suddenly her own phone cut through the air (a standard ringtone) and she walked over to the kitchen island and snatched it up, "This is Doctor Rizzoli."
Maura's call ended before Jane's and she waited patiently to ask for details, because she was not on call but the Governor had specifically requested that she, as the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, attend this body. The look on her wife's face didn't bode well, finally her call finished and Maura said, "They didn't tell me anything beyond Governor Holcomb wanting me on this personally…"
Jane shook her head and started for the door, "I wish you didn't have to see this one Maur. I'm sick already thinking about it." Regardless of the emotional upheaval that they were in the midst of, the crime scene they were about to attend was going to be awful and she wasn't sure how to tell her wife the victim was a young child. It was the one thing about her job she really, really hated; especially now that she had a child of her own.
Maura sighed sadly; they had done enough cases together for her to read between the lines. "I'll see you there, detective."
"Damn, you look like crap Jane." Erica observed, stepping aside to allow the homicide detective inside.
"Just dropped Maura and Liam off at the airport, they're off to visit with Constance in New York. I couldn't go with them because I'm on call." Jane explained with a shrug, sauntering through the ADA's apartment like a woman on a mission. She made a beeline straight for the kitchen and an ice cold beer, she grabbed a second for Erica and returned to the living room and handed her one of the bottles.
Erica accepted the offering, from her own fridge, with a small chuckle. "Anyone would think you owned the place the way you just march in here and help yourself." She joined the detective on the couch and flipped on the television. She selected ESPN to watch the Red Sox matchup with the Detroit Tigers, because there was no way either woman wanted to watch anything else.
Jane smirked and tossed a brief glance sideways at her friend and joked, "It's part of the Rizzoli charm."
Erica feigned a cough, "Arrogance," she laughed and took a swig of her beer, watching as the Red Sox starting line-up was shown on screen.
Jane drummed at the steering wheel as she drove towards the crime scene in Back Bay. She chewed on her lip anxiously while her brain continued to replay the happenings of Friday night on a loop in her head. She couldn't escape what had happened even with an impending crime scene to attend and the undoubted awkwardness that Frankie and Korsak would pick up on easily.
She slammed her hand against the horn when she was cut off by some idiotic driver. Any other night she might have pulled his ass over, but she just wanted to get to the scene and get it over and done with in the hope that the focus on working out the responsible party in the death of a child could keep her own issues from haunting her heart and mind.
"Josh Rutledge has impressed this season, batting over .300," Erica commented sometime in the fifth inning. She was concerned by the lack of animation coming from the other side of the couch, especially given that Pablo Sandoval had just hit a three run scoring deep ball to put the Red Sox in front.
"Yeah," Jane barely acknowledged with a heavy sigh, her thoughts drifting elsewhere. As much as she tried she just couldn't get into the game, which should have been reason enough to make an excuse to leave, because she knew Erica was tenacious when she sensed something was wrong. For once she just wanted to keep her marital problems in her own head, she felt guilty for constantly laying it out on the attorney, but then Erica never complained, just listened gracefully.
"What's eatin' you Jane? You've hardly said a word since the second inning." Erica shifted on the couch, bringing one leg up under herself so that she could face her friend.
"Not tonight Erica," Jane replied warningly, hoping her tone would dissuade the ADA. She should have known better.
"Jane," it was just one word, but the detective couldn't help but turn her head and pay attention. "A problem shared is a problem halved."
Jane made a noise that resembled a scoffing laugh. Her first thought was that Maura would argue the accuracy of such statement, because sharing a problem didn't immediately equate to halving the problem. It was still the same problem, just now someone else knew about it. With a roll of her eyes she said, "That saying makes no sense and you know it."
Erica shook her head, shoved Jane in the shoulder and laughed, "Whatever you say, Doctor Rizzoli."
Jane sighed and returned her attention to the television. "Let's just watch the game."
"What happened now?" Erica's question was laced with genuine concern, because she knew Jane had been struggling in her marriage.
"You're not gonna let this go are you?"
"Nope!" Erica answered, a satisfied smile turning up the corners of her mouth, because she knew she would be getting her way.
Jane shifted to mirror Erica's position of one leg under her body and one hanging off the couch so that they were now facing one another. "She just sprung this trip on me last minute and I know that's because of Constance, but damnit Erica I was looking forward to spending time with my son this weekend."
Always one to play devil's advocate the ADA countered, "It's not like her mother is in the country that often. Can you really blame her for wanting to see her? You said it yourself, you're on call, Liam is better off with her this weekend, because who knows when you'll be called in and if you are there'd be no time for him anyway!"
"Don't use your goddamn lawyer logic on me Erica," Jane huffed, still feeling discontent. "We were meant to spend time together as a family this weekend!"
That was the real crux of it, outside of work she hadn't seen much of her wife either because of the way they were managing their schedules to make sure one or the other was available as often as possible to watch Liam. Their on call hours often differed, as did their days off. Most times if they were lucky an on call day would coincide with a day off and they could try to make the most of it. Most times it worked out fine, but lately family time was being interrupted by the murderous population of Boston and it was driving Jane up the wall. Additionally Jane didn't have the flexibility of being her own boss and the scheduling power that brought about; Maura had been able to curtail her hours to be a very present parent, while Jane had to continue working long hours to solve the inundation of murders in the city.
"I'm sorry Jane," Erica said with a gentle pat of the detective's knee.
Jane's eyes flicked to the hand on her knee and back up to open, genuine, caring eyes. "I spend more time with you than my own wife, Erica."
"We're friends, and my schedule is a little more accommodating." She offered apologetically, unaware of the circles her thumb had starting rubbing into the knee beneath her hand.
Jane rolled her eyes, she couldn't help it. "You're a freakin' ADA, you're just as damn busy as I am."
"And your point?" Erica asked with the quirk of an eyebrow, her upper body leaning a little closer towards the detective.
"I… forget what it was… now." Jane stumbled through, her heart rate elevating as her own body betrayed her and leaned towards the attorney.
Both women searched each other's eyes rapidly as they gave in to the pull within their bodies pushing them together. Eyes fluttered closed, but before they gave into the need coursing through their bodies Jane pulled away and averted her eyes. "I should go."
Erica unconsciously licked her licks and nodded, standing to follow the detective to the door. "Yeah."
Jane found a parking spot down the road from the victim's address and turned the vehicle off. Her thoughts lingered on the almost kiss and the thought that it should have ended there. She had done the right thing and pulled away in time and made a move to leave. So why the hell had she turned back around? The ache in her chest only served to confuse her. Was it aching from the hurt she had caused Maura or because of her desire to be near Erica? She slammed her palm into the steering wheel before slumping back in her seat. She needed to compose herself before she went on the scene.
"Jane," her name was laced with such vulnerability the detective couldn't help but turn around. Erica offered up an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry… I didn't… I mean…" She gave up trying to find the words and let her hands, which had become animated during her attempt to communicate, slump back down by her side.
I think we should see a little less of each other for a while.
Jane's lips crashed into Erica's with a ferocious intensity. Her hand's fell onto hips and aggressively tugged the attorney into her body in an attempt to satisfy the growing need burning within. She knew better, God she knew better but she was tired of fighting.
There was an unnatural quiet that accompanied this crime scene; the usual banter between detectives and officers was non existent and the CSRU techs went about their jobs silently and efficiently. Somehow Maura had made it onto the scene before Jane, which the detective put down to her stupid flashbacks that caused her to recompose herself in the privacy of her unmarked cruiser.
"Jane," Detective Sergeant Vince Korsak greeted quietly, leading her towards the victim.
She had to bring her hand to her mouth in fear she wouldn't be able to push back the bile that wanted to escape at the sight of a boy with similar sandy locks to those of her own son. A quick glance at Maura told her that her wife, commonly known as the Queen of the Dead, was struggling with her own professionalism too. "What do ya know Korsak?"
They stood off to the side while Maura performed the preliminary examination. He said, "Kid looks like he was strangled, got bruising around his throat, but I'm sure the Doc will let us know for sure once she's done the autopsy. It's not just the kid though Jane, we got a female vic, Shirley Robinson, 35, in the next room. The kid's her son Todd, five years old. Grandmother found them; Frankie's taken her back to the station to talk to her. Neighbours didn't report seeing or hearing anything out of the ordinary."
Jane nodded, her eyes skirting the room, briefly landing on her wife who looked up and nodded curtly before standing and turning to talk with her staff, she was ready for the body to be removed. "So Shirley's the target and Todd was collateral damage?"
Korsak shrugged as he walked towards the second victim in the bedroom down the hall. "Looks that way. How cruel ya gotta be to kill the kid though?" He shook his head in disgust; the depravities he had seen in his years on the force were certainly wearing him down.
"A spouse in the picture?" Jane questioned absently, her heart lurching at the despair she could see hidden in the depths of Maura's eyes when she stepped past to begin her examination of Shirley.
Instinctively she stepped behind her wife and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. She felt Maura flinch under her touch and had to fight the desire to yank her hand away. Her desire to comfort Maura was outweighing the reality of their broken marriage, which meant she was only making it worse for her emotionally reserved wife. "Sorry," she muttered quietly, withdrawing her hand.
As a man who had been divorced three times, Korsak knew the tell tale signs of a marriage on the rocks and he had been seeing little signs adding up during the past six months. Those little things had apparently finally added up to a major fracture, if the signals he was reading were correct. He shook his head imperceptibly at the implications he imagined. Jane and Maura were the dream team when it came to clearing homicides, but that was when they were getting along. They had only ever had one major falling out that he could remember, but that two week period was hell on everyone, especially the detectives that walked into Jane's line of sight. He shuddered at the thought of Jane's marriage failing.
"Vince?" Jane asked harshly, pulling the senior detective from his thoughts.
"Oh, right. No spouse that we're aware of; kid's father split a few years ago."
"Should follow up, make sure he hasn't come back in the picture or if there's anyone else." Jane said, mostly as a mental note to herself.
Maura stood and turned to the detectives, "I place time of death to be six to eight hours ago for both victims. I will need to perform full autopsies to confirm cause of death for both."
"Thanks Mau… Doctor Rizzoli." Jane corrected herself hesitantly at the look of disdain in her wife's eyes. Yup, working with the woman she had broken was going to be so much fun.
"Detectives," Maura said firmly indicating she was done with them, before turning and signing the second body over for removal.
Korsak frowned and gently nudged Jane out of the apartment and onto the street. He was surprised that she went willingly, but as soon as they had rounded a corner where they were afforded some privacy he saw the tears glistening in her eyes. "Cryin' for the kid or Maura?"
"Both," Jane choked out honestly. She knew she wasn't going to be able to get anything past her Sergeant and former partner; he had been in the detective business for a long time.
He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and said, "Honestly Janie, I ain't ever seen anyone look at each other like you and Maura do…"
"Did," she corrected, a little harshly for even her own liking.
He frowned, "You can get it back, ya just gotta take some time for each other. Get away, go on a holiday just you and the Doc."
Jane shook her head and uncharacteristically wrapped herself around the man who had become somewhat of a father figure to her in the previous few years. She sobbed into his shoulder, accepting the reassuring if not awkward pats on the back he offered. "I screwed up big time," she sobbed out, "I don't think I can fix this."
Korsak pulled her out to arms length and ducked his head to meet her gaze, as she hung her head low and tried to avoid it. He heaved a heavy sigh when he saw the regret in her eyes, "Well shit Janie," he breathed out, "What did you do?"
Jane straightened herself out and looked him head on, she deserved whatever she had coming and as her Sergeant, he needed to know the potential for working conflict she had caused. Swallowing thickly she said, "I cheated on Maura."
Korsak shook his head; yep, this was worse than that last time they fought. He was incredibly disappointed but all he could think to say was, "Oh boy!"
A/N: My thanks to all the polite, conscientious readers out there. Special thanks to JustAGirl, Avid Reader and thegirlin404 for your insights. Thanks again for reading.
