When they arrest Doctor Maura Isles for murder, Jane volunteers for the dirty job; it's their case, their body, but Korsak and Frost look sickened at the thought. Cavanaugh allows it; Maura has shown him kindness, and she wouldn't try to murder Jane. She'd open the door for Jane. Social engineering has its uses. Cavanaugh shakes his head as Jane leaves his office; Jane's eyes were wide and sad, and he hates to see her like that, but he has no other options. The evidence is too compelling, and Maura has to be arrested. At least he's letting Jane do it. She'll do it right, she'll do it kindly. Letting Jane take this one is the least he can do.
With Korsak and Frost at her back, Jane cuffs Maura gently, leaving her hands in front of her instead of behind. Neither Korsak nor Frost object; they only leave the cuffs in front for perps that don't have a history of violent assault, and despite the violence of that man's death, they all know Maura is not going to be violent - not towards them at least. She seems dazed, sad, confused, but Jane can tell that part of her still believes that she could have done this. Jane loosens the cuffs in the car; she knows Maura bruises easily, doesn't want to cause her more pain. She's in enough already. When she'd learned who her father was, she'd gone into a tailspin of wondering what she had of him in her genes, what evil resided within her. Jane had insisted it didn't work like that, but she could tell Maura hadn't believed her. Jane rides in the back with Maura, and when Maura starts to cry Jane glares at Korsak in the rearview mirror, who meets her eye and looks away, giving them as much privacy as he can. Jane turns to hold Maura, lets her cry into Jane's shoulder. Maura is the last person to belong in a prison. Maura is the last person this should be happening to. If only Jane had stayed that night, taken Maura home like she'd planned. If only Jane had protected Maura better, had looked for her sooner. It could have been worse; it could have been Maura on the table instead of him. They'd clearly fought, and she'd clearly won. But how had she gotten home? How could Jane spin this as self-defense? They pull up at booking and Maura pulls away. Jane wipes Maura's cheeks for her, helps her out of the car.
"I'll stay with Bass tonight," Jane says. It's the least she can do. She leads Maura into booking, and Maura follows her. Jane wishes they could have left this for the morning, that Maura could have had one more night in her own bed, but at least she'll be at the station overnight, and transported to the prison in the morning. As she locks the door, Maura's hands grasp the bar, and Jane unlocks the cuffs now that she's confined. "You didn't do this, but if you did, I know you had a good reason. I'm not letting you go down for this."
"Don't throw your career away over me," Maura says softly. "It's not worth it." Jane looks over to where Korsak and Frost are very obviously involved in a conversation, not watching them in the slightest. She cups Maura's cheek through the bars. "I'm not worth it," Maura says, tears spilling over again.
"You are," Jane tells her firmly. She wants to say that Maura is everything to her, that Maura is worth more than her whole family combined, but Maura is despondent and won't be able to absorb the words. But Maura understands gestures, so she takes one of Maura's hands and lifts it to her mouth, kissing the knuckles. If the bars weren't in the way she'd be holding her by now, but this is all she can manage. "You're worth it," Jane reiterates sternly as Frost coughs and Maura takes her hand back, raises it to her own mouth. Jane sighs. "Trust me," she urges Maura, who looks close to tears again. "I always do," Maura says, almost smiling. She watches Jane leave and sits down in the station cell, wishing she'd worn something more comfortable. If she'd killed him, she'd take it on the chin. But if she didn't, she knew Jane would find out exactly what had happened, would come in like a superhero to save her. She sighs and tucks her feet under her, hoping Bass will eat for Jane.
Notes:
Another melancholy one-shot with a drabble for a summary.
