Friday night

Jane ran into Korsak on her way back from Maura's room with the clothes Maura had bought for her.

"Hey, we're running out of rooms, quick question, do you mind bunking up with Doctor Isles? Her room has two beds."

"It does?" Jane asked. She hadn't noticed much that morning, and Maura had thrust the bag at her quickly when they'd returned that evening. "I don't mind if she doesn't," she added, shrugging. People might talk, but they would whether she spent another night with Maura or not, and she'd rather spend another night with Maura either way.

"She already agreed," Korsak said, holding out a key. Jane fumbled in her pants and handed back the one to her room. "You need to grab anything before I hand this out?"

"I never ever went inside," Jane admitted. "Maura put me up for a few hours last night."

"Maura huh? The Ice Queen has a first name," Korsak chuckled.

"Of course she does," Jane snapped. "Sorry, I mean... I know she has a reputation, but if you just get to know her..."

"I know, I can see it myself. I don't know what you've done to her, but she's finally coming out of her shell. I won't call her that anymore. Pinky swear," Korsak held out his pinky and Jane grinned, hooking it with her own. "You're good for her," he said softly. "And something tells me she's good for you too."

Jane headed back to Maura's room, knocked despite the key in her pocket. Technically it was still Maura's room.

"Korsak said..." Jane started when the door opened.

"I'm aware," Maura said breezily. She must have had the world's quickest shower because she was wrapped in a towel and Jane forced herself to keep her eyes on Maura's face, swallowing suddenly.

"I just need a quick shower, and to pop down to the hospital, then we can go get dinner, ok?" Jane asked, sliding past Maura and closing the door behind her, making sure the door was mostly closed the whole time so no one else would see Maura towel-clad. Maura nodded, and Jane headed for the bathroom.

Maura had even bought Jane underwear and socks. Jane rolled her eyes, but thankfully took a pair from the multipack in the bag Maura had given her. The pants fit nicely, and the shirt wasn't something she'd have bought but it wasn't too flamboyant either. It looked close enough to what she wore during the week that she'd be able to wear it to work when she got back to Boston. She'd find a laundromat tomorrow or ask Maura where she'd bought these pants. She came out fully dressed, toweling her hair. There were two beds in the room; Korsak was right. Jane hadn't noticed, and even if she had, she wouldn't have deliberately sat on the one Maura clearly hadn't used.

"Oh good, you're ready," Maura said, fastening an earring and grabbing her bag. She'd bought herself a new dress too, and it looked like it cost more than Jane's monthly pay, let alone her per diem. Jane swallowed suddenly again, averting her eyes, then bringing them back. There was nothing indecent about the dress, and Maura obviously hadn't known they were going to have dinner when she'd bought it, but part of Jane wanted to look away again, feeling like she didn't deserve this. "Do you mind if I come to the hospital too? I have some questions about the bodies."

"Ugh, really? Before dinner?" Jane asked, pulling a face. "Ok, fine." She said, tugging her boots on.

"To specify, I have questions about who the bodies might belong to, and other children the ones you have know about."

"I don't have any kids," Jane grumbled.

"Right now you have six," Maura pointed out, and technically she was correct.

"You got four," Jane grumbled back, referring to the total of bodies they'd found that Tilt had ended.

"Let's hope that's all I have," Maura said seriously.

"You're still here," Jane greeted Frost and Lt. Keanally. "We're just off for dinner, do either of you need anything?"

"I'm good," Frost said, not looking up from where he was playing cards with one of the kids, an excited squeal of laughter exploding from his direction a second later as he deliberately lost.

"I'll get something from the café before they shut," Lt. Keanally said, watching Maura approach Jacob, her demeanour still firm and professional, but softer somehow in deference to his age. "My wife is just like yours," she added. "Always after me about eating and sleeping. She was pretty pissed I was planning to fly over - she says what's the point in being the Lieutenant if I still have to fly out to podunk American towns. As soon as I said you'd found the kids, she was on board."

"Not my wife," Jane said, still eyeing Maura. "But I'd be lucky if she was," she looked up, and up again at Lt. Keanally, who was smirking at her.

"No offense intended. I know you Americans are a bit behind the times when it comes to marriage."

"Why would I be offended by someone assuming I was in a relationship with her? If anything, it's a compliment. I'd really be punching above my weight." Jane shrugged.

"Americans seem hung up on homosexuality as a character fault."

"They really do, don't they?" Jane sighed. "Canada seems a lot... easier."

"Depends on the province or territory," Lt. Keanally shrugged. "My advice? You find a woman who looks at you like that, that makes sure you eat - you make sure you treat her right. We get a lot of long nights on this job."

"Long days too," Jane agreed, still watching Maura.

"Don't take it home with you." Jane looked away from Maura and finally met Lt. Keanally's eye, blushing a little and her knowing smile.

"If your wife is anything like her, I gotta congratulate you on your taste," Jane said, heading over to where Maura beckoned her, kneeling down beside the bed to listen to Jacob.

"What's your favourite food," Jane asked, pulling out Maura's chair, skirting the table and setting across from her.

"Your mother's cooking is a firm favourite," Maura said. "And many of the places I visited in France had exquisite pastries."

Jane's phone rang and she cursed. She pointed at the steak on the menu and answered the phone, excusing herself.

"You missed our session yesterday, is everything ok?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, I'm out of town on a case. Multiple kidnappings. Multiple historic murders. I'll be back in next week."

"And you're dealing with the situation well?" Richard asked, and Jane knew he was asking if anything had triggered a memory of Hoyt.

"There are similarities and differences. We haven't had much downtime - or sleep. I gotta tell you, it was a relief to find so may of them alive, but I know they're going to need a lot of work to feel safe again."

"When you do have downtime, do you have somewhere safe to process the issues this might be bringing up with you?"

"I'm actually out to dinner right now. With Doctor Isles. She's making sure I'm getting fed, and I'm paying her back for buying me clothes I didn't sleep in out of her diem."

"I mentioned safety, and you mentioned Doctor Isles. Do you think that's significant?"

"You mentioned downtime, I mentioned dinner," Jane countered his claim.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner. I'm glad you only missed our session because of work, and I'm glad you have a friend there to support you." Jane came back to the table, watching Maura cut up her steak.

"She's using a knife right now," Jane joked. Maura a head tilted quizzically but she kept cutting Jane's meal into safe portions. Jane leaned over with her fork and snagged a bite.

"Would you mind if I spoke to her for a moment?"

"Why?" Jane asked.

"She's a doctor, and you're without your usual support network," Richard responded. Jane handed the phone over with a shrug.

"This is Doctor Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," Maura answered, rolling her eyes at Jane's snort of amusement. "Oh, Doctor Plitz. Yes, I've heard of you - in particular your work with -" Maura looked up at Jane, who had snagged her plate back and was eating with as much table manners as she could muster at the end of a long day. "Steak knife. Yes, more of them. I understand." She handed the phone back to Jane.

"Did you ever tell her you were using her for immersion therapy?" Richard asked, and Jane put her fork down, losing her plate to Maura, who kept cutting her meal.

"No, not in so many words. I always felt she understood. She clearly knows your area of work."

"You can trust her," Richard said.

"I already do," Jane said.

"I'll leave you to your meal, but I expect to see you next week, ok?"

"Deal," Jane said, hanging up.

"I didn't realise you were seeing Plitz," Maura said. "His work is scientifically sound," she said approvingly. She handed Jane's plate back over and started on her salad.

"The precinct has rules about this sort of thing," Jane said. "Recovery, the rest of it. Sorry about that. I missed a session, he probably would have had to report me for non-compliance if I didn't answer with an explanation."

"Do you need anything from me?" Maura asked.

"No more than you're willing to give," Jane smiled at Maura over the table. "And you've given more than enough."

"I know you're not always comfortable asking for something you need -"

"I'm not going to say I needed my steak cut up for me, but I'm glad you didn't make me ask," Jane said. "You always seem to know what I need."

"Sometimes you need to ask," Maura said. "I'm not a mind reader."

"Are you sure? With a brain as big as yours, you might as well be psychic."

"I don't like to guess, Jane," Maura said.

"You guessed my pant size," Jane joked.

"I had prior exposure to your wardrobe," Maura pointed out.

Jane ate some more steak, sliding her salad around her plate, rolling her eyes when Maura gave her a pointed look.

"It's the scalpels," Jane blurted out. "Ok? I see someone holding one and my hands throb. Like I'm in danger."

"Can I accommodate you in any way?"

"No, don't be nervous, it's ok," Jane immediately picked up on Maura's discomfort, reaching across the table instinctively to cover one of Maura's hands. "I was gonna tell you anyway." Jane leaned back and picked up her silverware. "Not when I finally got you out to dinner, but, since we're here... You're the only person I've seen hold a scalpel and my next thought isn't that you're going to pin me to the floor with it."

"Why me?" Maura asked. "I certainly wasn't friendly to you, those first few autopsies you observed."

"I don't know." Jane looked up at Maura. "You were trying to be nice to me, the first time we met. I get that now. But between Stanley and being mistaken... and a whole shift with no arrests... I took it out on you and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry we met that way. I guess I remembered that, and seeing the way you interacted with everyone else... I thought, I don't know. That you wouldn't notice? That you wouldn't care? You know they used to call you Queen of the Dead?"

"Used to?" Maura asked, her eyebrows raised, the information not new to her.

"I put the word out," Jane said shortly. "Point being, if you were going to kill me, you'd do it quickly, without making me suffer. You were so compassionate with people who were too far gone to appreciate it. I thought," Jane rubbed at her hands for a moment. "I thought I might as well be dead to you, the way you treated me, except you treated the dead a lot nicer."

"That's... certainly a thought," Maura said carefully. "And to start with I've never wished you any bodily harm."

"Hey, thanks," Jane said sarcastically. "Now come on, no more work talk at dinner, ok? Where'd you get my pants?"

Maura knew Jane was deflecting, but she didn't mind. Jane had been unusually open, and had been vulnerable enough for one day. The apology for Maura's good intentions so long ago warmed Maura's heart a little.

"We could go shopping, if you'd like," Maura offered.

"Depends how long we're out here," Jane said non-committedly. "I'd rather hit the gym."

"I don't think we'll have time for our customary jog tomorrow," Maura commented.

"But we have time to shop?" Jane complained. She sighed. "Yeah, if we get a chance." She smiled up at Maura. "You're lucky you're cute," she grumbled with a cheeky smile, putting her fork down thankfully, rubbing at her wrists.

"Do you need me to take a look at them?" Maura asked, concerned. Jane looked down absently.

"Nah, storm's coming. Good thing you got those bodies out already." Maura nodded, distracted by Jane's hands. "So, fashionista, what's your favourite colour?" Jane asked, trying to change the subject away from work again. Maura shook her head, dragging her eyes away from Jane's hands back up to her face.

"I never can decide," Maura said, sipping at her water. "From day to day I find different shades compelling, dependent on their context, of course."

"Of course," Jane agreed, sounding sarcastic, but when Maura looked up Jane's face was soft, as though she was looking at something she particularly liked. Maura blushed.

"But to answer your question, and in layman's terms, since I know you're not fond of overly complex answers to simple questions..." Maura trailed off, looking up, and Jane's smile, while amused, was still very soft. "Various shades of green. Perhaps with some gold tones worked in."

"Something to complement your eyes," Jane said, nodding, laughing at Maura's obvious surprise. "C'mon, I've read a fashion magazine."

"Just the one?" Maura quipped, and was rewarded with a throaty laugh from Jane. "Would you prefer to skip dessert?" Maura asked, looking down at Jane's hands.

"Hell no," Jane snorted. "Have to be both hell and high water to make me skip... What is it? Apple pie with ice cream?"

Maura nodded, still worrying about Jane's hands.

"Besides, I don't want to miss a moment of the opportunity to take you out to dinner, ok? You met my family, and I'm sure you regret it. Tell me about yours."

Jane looked over at the bed no one had slept in last night. Maura had kindly handed over some flannel pajamas and Jane felt that the bedroom attire made things more awkward. Last night she'd fallen asleep fully-dressed mid-sentence, like it had been an accident. The pajamas felt like a commitment. Like an acknowledgement that Jane and Maura were two women who slept together - no, not slept together, that was a euphemism - who occasionally shared a bed. And while that was accurate, it wasn't something Jane necessarily liked to admit - it made her feel weak. She'd already said so much more than she should have, so much she hadn't said to anyone else. She slid under the covers of the far bed, the one she hadn't slept in the night before. She rolled onto her side, Maura's hair plaited as she came out of the bathroom. Maura looked over discretely at Jane's decision and climbed into her own bed.

"Do you need the lights?" Maura asked quietly. Jane shook her head, resting her cheek on her hand. "Ok, goodnight," Maura said, turning the light off.

"I spend a lot of time pretending I'm not scared," Jane said into the darkness. "The only time it's true, the only time I'm not scared... last night. And last week, when you took me home."

"There's something to be said for company," Maura mused.

"Yeah, it loves misery," Jane snorted.

"You were right, when you introduced me to the kids. You have a good reason to be scared. I don't."

"You're a woman with above-average intelligence that sees what happens to people. Fear is real. Fear is necessary. A healthy dose might just keep you alive."

"I'm scared of people, Jane. Not serial killers, just... people. Children. Adults. Your team, until you came back. Susie."

"Susie?" Jane asked incredulously. "She doesn't even come past my shoulder, you could take her in a fight."

"But not in a conversation. Conversations scare me. There are no rules, no way to tell if someone is secretly mad at you."

"We're having a conversation, and you're not scared of me, are ya?" Jane boasted, then looked up and heard Maura's sharp intake of breath. "Wait, are you?"

"I am, but for a different reason. You terrify me," Maura breathed. "You're the first person who's - who's seen me."

"And why does that scare you?"

"Because I built my life around being invisible."

"Why would you want to be invisible? You're an accomplished woman, top of your field."

"I don't like being seen. Maybe I still feel rejected by my birth parents. Like they saw something so wrong with me... Maybe I'll never feel like a person that people can understand. But I don't mind so much when it's you looking."

Jane grinned into the darkness.

"You're safe with me," Jane whispered. "I swear it. I might not always think before I speak, but I promise if I'm mad I'll just tell you."

Maura chuckled. "I know you will." Jane heard the rustle of sheets as Maura arranged herself more comfortably, and she shifted too, digging her shoulder into the mattress. Every inch of her wanted to cross the space between them and curl up next to Maura, but she didn't want to crowd her, aware as she was of being in Maura's space. Her hands were throbbing, and she tucked them between her knees, the soft breathing of Maura comforting in the darkness. "Goodnight," Jane called softly across the space between them.

Notes:

I told someone I was trying to write a bad guy, and he told me to get him to hurt a dog, and I said 'nah, he kidnaps children and rents them out' and the horrified look on his face made me realise what I'd done.

I read the Tess Gerritsen books before the show. The early ones especially are dark, and season 1 has such a tonal difference to the rest of the show, so I've been playing off that, but I would like to be done with this sooner than later because having this live in my head pushed out the capacity for soft fluff I want to write (but I wrote two one-shots because I needed to, because my brain said so). But also this story deserves to be written because I can write an unrealistic world in which children are rescued from situations like this which absolutely exist, and the Jane and Maura that exist here deserve to have their story played out.

But in the books, Jane and Maura don't even touch until Ice Cold, which is about the sixth in the set, and even then Maura nearly died and I think Jane lets her hand brush Maura's or something, both of them knowing they don't like contact, which I appreciated. I need to reread, I believe she has a new one coming out this week?

So this is taking more resources than I had expected to complete. I'm a few chapters ahead, and may do some fluffy one shots, but vibe-switching at this point is hard.