Tuesday
Jane had read through all of the reports she'd received so far, and there was something eating away at her. None of the children had a family dog. It showed foresight, that the children had been targeted and likely observed before being taken. Jane wondered how many more shallow graves there were, spreading through North America.
She put her takeaway coffee on her desk, noticing a BPD travel mug with a note. She poured her coffee into it, reading the note.
"Stubborn," was all it said, followed by an "M". Jane's face split into a grin - Maura had noticed that the coffee cups had been hurting her hands and had bought something to show that she'd noticed, that she'd been concerned and wanted to help without being obvious or overbearing. And the single word was enough to show that she considered them close enough to have an inside joke - the word Angela had repeatedly used to refer to Jane. She'd have expected a present from Maura to be something extravagantly gorgeous and equally impractical, but she hadn't expected a gift from Maura at all. It showed that Maura had been thinking about her after work, showed that Maura valued Jane, but it was casual enough not to draw attention in the busy squad room. Jane sighed with relief.
She tucked away the little note in her wallet, distributing the coffees to her team before heading to the basement.
"I see you found your present," Maura said, not looking up from her computer as Jane slid the coffee tray over. "Although if you insist on getting me coffee every time you get one, I might as well have bought myself one as well."
"Thanks," Jane said, giving Maura a grin. She wanted to say for noticing and not saying anything, for giving her a respite from the hot coffee against her burning palms, for the thoughtfulness of the gift, for thinking about Jane in practical terms. But the single word covered all of that without getting too personal for the workplace.
"Thank you," Maura countered, lifting the cup to her mouth, watching as Jane's eyes followed the path of the takeaway coffee cup, stayed fixed on Maura's lips. "I found something interesting," Maura said, turning back to her computer. "They only tested the blood type of this bloodstain they found - typically I would refer to it as a reddish brown stain - but the result looks interesting enough that I'd like to ask for a DNA test on the sample. Would you be able to co-ordinate that, or should I get in touch with the Ontario authorities to touch base with their forensic department?"
"I can get you the contact details," Jane confirmed. "Although Grace probably wouldn't mind if you emailed her - she seems like she wants to help as much as she can."
"I'd - I'd prefer if you contacted the Lieutenant," Maura said stiffly.
"Of course, I'll send through the details as soon as I have them," Jane said, recognising that Maura might be uncomfortable contacting someone from a different police jurisdiction she didn't know well. She smiled, watching Maura's terse face relax a little. She took another sip from her mug, to show off a little, to show Maura she was enjoying the gift. There was something akin to shy pleasure on Maura's face when Jane looked up, and she remembered how uneasy Maura had been at dinner, how the calm doctor she knew had been speechless in the face of Jane's family. She remembered how Maura had been relaxed and soft with her on Saturday, despite having seen the worst of Jane the night before, how she'd melted into the hug the next day after a shaky start. She remembered how Maura's breath had caught when Jane's lips had skimmed her cheek, and Jane coughed, looking away with a blush.
"I'll, uh, I'll go. Email," Jane said, indicating towards the door, walking backwards out of Maura's office.
She sent an email to Grace, asking about the dogs as well, to see if her hunch had been correct.
Maura came up to the third floor at the end of the day to leave some paperwork for Sargent Korsak. Some of the lights were still on at random in the squad room which wasn't unusual, but Jane was still there, which was.
"You're here late," Maura commented, sliding her report onto Korsak's desk.
"So're you" Jane countered, not looking up from her computer. She didn't look like she was wrapping up any time soon. The mug was filled again - with cafeteria coffee, most likely - and in pride of place next to Jane's right hand so she could drink while scrolling. Her back was hunched, and Maura longed to tell Jane to sit up straight, to tell her about the stress she was putting on her discs, but Jane stretched suddenly, turning her head side to side and leaned back in her chair, finally turning to look at Maura.
"Do you need anything?" Maura asked, aware of how much it hurt Jane's pride to ask for help. "Your pills, a lift home?"
"I need to solve this case before that family takes the body," Jane said, rubbing at her face. "I have an idea, but it's..." Jane waved one hand out of her line of sight. "It's just there but I can't see it yet. I'm close."
Maura sighed and came over to Jane, dropping a key on her desk.
"There's a couch in my office. I can promise it's clean and comfortable enough for an emergency nap. I recommend 6 to 8 hours of sleep, if you absolutely insist on staying at the station overnight." Maura saw one of Jane's hands slide to cover the key, then slip it into her pocket. She looked away from the screen again, looking up at Maura. In the dim light from her screen, the sharp lines of Maura's face were sharper, the light from behind her giving her an ethereal glow, like she was some kind of vision or dream - much prettier than Jane's usual dreams. Jane leaned her tilted head on her fist, drinking in the sight of Maura a little longer, the orange dress and soft brown leather jacket with intricate stitching.
"You're kind," Jane said, and she'd said it before but Maura hadn't believed her. Still didn't believe her. "Thank you. I'll take a power nap so I fit in with the OHS guidelines. It has to be better than the breakroom couch."
"Good luck, Detective Rizzoli," Maura said, stepping back from the soft gaze that warmed her. She knew Jane knew she wouldn't offer her office to just anyone - the equipment and ornaments cost more than Jane's salary. She knew Jane knew this was a sign of trust, a sign that she was concerned for Jane's wellbeing, using Jane's official title to distance herself a little from the way she'd exposed herself.
"Goodnight, Doctor Isles," Jane said, turning back to her computer.