Jane did as she had done after her last break up. Taken it day by day, busing herself with work and Julia until she felt better. With the crime rate in New York she never had to worry about having too much time to think. The days went bye, then the weeks and Boston slowly faded in her mind.
It had become a habit to let Julia call Sophie. Maura knew that it was her girl, when Janes name appeared on the display of her phone. The girls chatted two to three times a week. Julia never mentioning Maura, which made Jane wonder if the girl wanted to protect her.
Dust was already piling on the diary, when spring came around. Jane felt much better and Boston was just like a bad dream in her mind. And good thing was that one could wake up from bad dreams.
"Next week is Sophies birthday!" Julia excitedly exclaimed after one of her calls. "Can we send her a gift pleaaseee." She asked using her dog eyes to bribe Jane. The brunette pulled up her hands as in surrender and laughed. "Sure, honey. What do you want to give her?"
She watched quietly as Julia contemplated, obviously not having thought so far. "I want to send her a plush bear. She was all sad, because Mr. bear died and went to heaven."
"All right." Jane smiled and offered to pick her up after school so that they could go to the mall. "Maybe they already have ice cream." She added and winked at her girl. Julia cocked her head, like she did a lot lately when thinking. "Ice cream is not healthy." She said smartly. "Okayyyy." The brunette said. "Then its only ice cream for me…"
Julia looked puzzled. "But that's not fair." She squinted, glancing at her mother who chuckled.
The brunette already waited in front of the school when it was over. She was very serious about keeping promises. And seeing as it was one of the rare occasions where she had no open case, she had decided to take the afternoon off.
When arriving at the mall she wondered how many people had taken the afternoon off, seeing as how crowded it was. Neither did she know how many different plush bears there were sitting on the shelves, waiting to be adopted. Julia hopped around nervously. Not knowing which one to choose for her friend.
"Which one would you like if it were for you, honey?" Jane crouched down next to her, trying to help her.
Julia looked puzzled, walking along the shelf for the 20th time at least, looking highly concentrated. Then she decided for a small brown one. "It can't be too big." She told Jane with a serious face "because we are small too." That was a five-year-old's logic. The brunette chuckled and took two out of the shelf, followed by Julia's questioning eyes.
"You should have one too, honey." She said, knowing that apart from Christmas the girl usually only seldom asked for something. Julia started to hop again, excited. "We will have the same bears." she stated beaming. "Like twins."
Jane rolled her eyes as she payed for the bears. Later she helped the girl wrap them up in some paper, and the bear was finally placed in a box. Jane felt touched when she saw Julia also putting in some of her sweets and drawings.
These were the moments when she felt especially proud of her kid.
The brunette checked for the caller ID when her phone rang. It was close to lunchbreak and the brunette was busy working a homicide which had come in a few hours ago. She was not sure whether to pick up when seeing that it was Maura. She did, as it was unusual for the blonde to call.
She cringed when the first things after greeting Maura she heard where some sobs. She tried to calm the woman down by using soothing words, glancing around at her colleagues who had turned to her, noticing that something was wrong.
In order to find some piece, Jane grabbed her jacket, telling her partner that she was going to take her break now. By the time she left the building to walk to a nearby park Janes heart turned to stone realizing that the blonde would not call her if something very bad had happened.
She caught herself as she stopped breathing when Maura finally calmed down and started to talk. Although she sounded very confused the brunette understood that she had wanted to pick up her girl after school, but that Sophie wasn't there. The blonde had waited for half until she had entered the building to ask the teacher, who had told her, that Sophie wasn't with her. And as it was a very shy and silence girl she hadn't noticed that and if she were missing.
Janes brain and heart started racing at the same time as a picture of the sweet, innocent girl popped up in her head.
"Maura, listen to me." she said and sounded much calmer than she was at the thought of what could have happened to Sophie. "Call Frankie, okay? I try to free myself from work to come as quick as I can."
She hung up after Maura thanked her.
Two hours later she was on her way to Boston. She had talked to Frankie who had filled her in on the little bit of information they had so far. Jane realized that he had become a great detective and felt proud at him.
Her heart sank though when thinking about Sophie. The six-year-old was sweet and shy. From the bit she had learned about her, she was not one of the kids who ran away or lost their mind on something and would disappear for some hours. If she hadn't been there after school, it was very likely that something or someone had crossed her path.
The first hours were in general vital if a person went missing and Jane tried to focus on the next steps and tried to ignore her feelings. She trusted Frankie to do a good job, but the reason why she was driving to Boston was, that she couldn't bear if something happened to that girl. And the more hands on the deck, she thought, the better the chance to find her faster.
She pulled up the driveway of beacon hill when by the evening finding a nerve-wrecked Maura pacing the floor. Frankie was there too, taking Jane into a long hug. They hadn't seen each other since Christmas, which was three month ago.
He tilted his head and looked stern, when she looked at him, after he had released her from his arms. This meant that there was new development. Jane sighed looking out of the windows, noticing that it was about to get dark. She pushed any feelings away, once more, and listened carefully to her brother's report carefully.
"Talk to her. She needs you." Frankie pressed, following her eyes to the blonde who was still pacing.
Jane nodded. She made some tea first, then wandered with the cup into the living room.
"You're going to ruin your carpet." She said calmly trying to pull Maura out of her thoughts. Her tall body was leaning against the doorframe with the cup in her hand.
Maura looked up, puzzled. Jane started to walk towards her, taking her time, handing Maura the cup. This time she didn't pull her hands back when touching Maura's. They were alone in the room.
The blonde thanked her, as she took the cup and let herself drop to the couch. A deep sigh escaped her mouth. Jane sat on the other side of the couch, looking at her thinking about what to say. Frankie had told her, that Maura hadn't taken information from anyone. She had refused to talk all day. Well, she had been in the business long enough to know the options Jane thought.
"Thanks for coming, Jane." The blonde finally said, eyes fixed on the cup in her hand.
She appeared calmer now, that Jane was here the brunette noted. "We are going to find her." She said in a fierce tone and Maura glanced at her.
"It is getting dark and cold." the blonde whispered. "No one has called to claim money." Tears were falling down her cheek. Jane sub-consciously rubbed the scar on her right hand. "Just find her please." The blonde quietly said. Then she swallowed hard before adding. "Alive."
Jane nodded and got off the couch. "Its not so late. I'll go to visit some of her classmates with Frankie."
And so, they did. Frankie didn't mind a second round of interrogations even though they already had talked to most of them. Jane encountered lots of emotions with the parents. Most of them looked glad that it wasn't their child, which she totally understood knowing that she would feel the same. But there was also a lot of sadness.
Parents who looked as if thinking that Sophie was already dead and parents who supported the hope.
One of Sophies classmates was very helpful. Telling them about a strange car which had circled around the school in the morning hours. Frankie looking surprised because the kid hadn't mentioned this during their earlier interview.
"Don't worry. Its not your fault." Jane said as they drove away. "Julia is the same sometimes. She often recalls events only much later. Especially in the evening, when she relaxes before bed."
Her brother nodded, relieved because he thought that he had done something wrong. Silence lingered between them as they drove to the precinct where they would try to make the best out of the information they got.
But Jane wanted to call Julia first. She longed to hear her voice and needed to know that she was fine.
Later Frankie dropped her off at beacon hill, where she would support Maura, because the few leads which were there, could be covered by the officers from the BPD.
Jane sat on the couch watching Maura pace around the room. Only now feelings started to sift into her heart. She couldn't even imagine what it meant to know that your child is out there in the cold and dark instead of having her in the bed a few rooms down the hall.
The kid was probably scared, longing for her mother. Longing for help. And it was a bad sign for sure, that no one had called or left a message asking for ransom. She knew that she would give everything she had, just to have her daughter back if she were in the situation of Maura.
"We are going to get her back." Jane repeated the words like a mantra, not only for Maura but also for herself, hoping that her words were true.
Maura stopped in her track, glaring at Jane. "Easy for you to say if you know that your kid is safe in her bed." She suddenly spat.
Jane knew that the blonde was nerve-wrecked. She got it, so she said nothing to reply the allegation. She pulled out her phone and called Frankie instead. But he had no news. So, she hung up and sighed.
"I'm going to make some coffee." She mumbled in order to give Maura some space. But the blonde followed her into the kitchen, keeping her allegations up. Jane trying not to listen. But there cama a point, when she couldn't hear any more of it and broke.
"You know what Maura? Im really sorry that this happened to you. And of course, you can blame me as you want, but none of this is my fault. I lied to my boss in order to get away from work, I drove all the way up from New York, because you wanted me to. But at the end I owe you nothing. You hurt me like no one has ever hurt me before. Because I trusted you. And I thought that after all these years of friendship you would hear me out. I always thought that if my assumption that you had feelings for me too, were wrong you would at least let me down easy. But instead you threw a whole lot of bad words at me. you told me to seek for help. And you practically kicked me out of the hotel room. Then you reappear and act as if nothing ever happened. Did you believe that we could just continue being friends? That we could just sweep it under the rug? Do you have any idea how I felt? But hell, you called, and I came. And now you blame me?" So far, Jane managed to sound calm, despite the anger raging inside of her. Maybe Sophie was the reason why she stayed mild, but no matter how bad the situation for Maura was, she felt the need to stress this.
Maura stood at the counter and still glared at Jane. The brunette looked her straight in the eyes, not willing to back away. Nor eat more of these allegations.
"Yeah, you have always been so good Jane." Maura replied calm too, but the brunette could feel the thunderstorm approaching. She didn't care. She was willing to take it, as long as they finally spoke about it. Maybe then she would finally be able to find closure and peace. Maybe it would be good for both of them.
"You were always strong, you always fought, and I couldn't because I grew up to obey and be polite. You were a rebel, getting what you wanted. You have no idea how lucky you are to have your mother. My parents were never there for me or Sophie for that matter."
"Oh, if you want swap parents. Fine!" Jane said chuckling mockingly, unable to take this seriously. Especially not after recalling last Christmas. "You would suit better for them anyways Maura, you're a doctor, you made something out of your life.. I'm not only gay, I'm also a single mother, I'm not able to give my daughter a father like its supposed to be, nor do I possess a fancy flat because my ex left me with her depts. So, to summarize I'm a failure to them. But you would be perfect!"
Maura narrowed her eyes, looking angry now. "Stop acting as if you had the worst live of us all!" the blonde yelled in anger.
"Stop yelling at me!" Jane yelled back.
They paused, glaring at each other.
"Anything else you want to have which I have?" Jane asked mischievously hiding behind her coffee mug, daring Maura to let off more steam. The brunette watched as the blonde suddenly turned around to leave the room. A little bit later she heard the door of the master bedroom slam shut. She was angry again because they hadn't discussed the matter. As usual they had danced around a line.
It was then when Maura's mobile, which was still laying on the counter in the kitchen started ringing with an anonymous number.
Jane quickly informed Frankie who was waiting at the precinct, while she ran to Maura to hand her the phone.
Maura eyes widened as she took the phone and hit first the green button and then then the loudspeaker so that Jane could hear.
"Mrs. Isles?" an electronic voice drifted off the device.
The brunette saw how Maura swallowed. "Yes, speaking." She finally said.
"We have your little girl. And she is very unhappy." The voice said and paused. "You can have her back if you pay us five million Dollars in cash."
"Can I speak to her?" Maura said and saw how Jane started signing that she needed to keep the conversation going by drawing circles into the air with her index finger, constantly checking on her phone the time of the conversation. She knew that the technicians would at least need two minutes, and they had only thirty seconds so far.
The voice first denied, but Maura kept pushing, stating that she needed a proof. The voice told her that she would hear her daughter, then they would hang up and come back to her tomorrow with more information as to where to put the money.
Maura panicky looked at Janes display, seeing that it was only one minute.
Jane nodded, so Maura agreed. They heard some shuffling sounds, footsteps, a door which was cracked opened. The blonde's hands showed white knuckles for holding the phone so tight. Jane felt how sweat ran down her own back.
Then they suddenly heard Sophies voice. "Mum?"
"Yes, darling, its me. Are you okay? Have you eaten?"
"Mum, I want to come home. Please."
"I know honey. I will get you home. I promise."
Jane was glad that Maura managed to sound so firm and determined. Before she could say more though the line went dead. It had been almost two minutes. The brunette picked up, as Frankie immediately called. She watched how Maura sunk into herself, trembling, crying.
"Please tell me that it was long enough." She muttered dropping to the bed next to Maura.
"It wasn't. the only thing we managed to find out was that it's a prepaid. But not the cell tower it pinged off. Sorry Jane."
The brunette took a deep breath. The thing with the prepaid was no surprise. She thanked him, knowing that Nina would immediately analyze the background noises and everything else at that matter from the tape. There was no need to ask for it. And she knew that if there was something, Nina would find it.
She reached out her hand to rub Maura's back, thinking.
To her surprise the blonde suddenly turned to her and spoke. "I'm sorry for what I said Jane. In Paris and in the kitchen earlier. You are right, I should have let you down nicer. And I shouldn't have assumed that we could all sweep it under the rug. And you're right, I called, and you were there. Because even after all the shit, you still care. That's what I always loved about you."
The brunette couldn't help but gasp at the unexpected apology. One she had thought a few minutes ago would never come.
"You were my best friend, Jane." She continued, "and I was afraid and overwhelmed. I can't really explain it to you. Not now anyways. But I would be glad if you gave me the chance one day when I can."
Jane rubbed the bridge of her nose, nodding. This was not the time for long discussions about it anyways she thought. First, they had to bring Sophie home.