Cailin:

"Your sister's partner seems nice." Alex's voice pulled Cailin out of her trance, making her brain stop it's constant motion, reciting facts and anecdotes that may one day be useful in her own career. "I mean, it seems like Jane helps her to loosen up, and makes her more fun."

It was true. With Jane's encouragement, Maura had hosted a pizza party for some of Cailin's closest friends, where they had yelled at the game and debated articles, all of them learning some interesting things from someone who was well established in the field. And as the weeks passed, Maura had been more welcoming to Cailin's friends, even agreeing to host their weekly study groups. She wasn't exactly looking forward to leaving her older sister's house. "Yeah, I think Jane just helps her to get her feet wet, after that she loosens up quite a bit."

Her friend grinned, adjusting the strap of her bad so it rested higher on her shoulder. "That's sweet. How long have they been together?"

Cailin's eyebrows knit together in confusion, her eyes studying Alex's face. "Jane is a cop, her partner's name is Frost. Maura is a medical examiner. They work together, but they aren't partners."

"Oh, I thought…" Alex's gaze fell as her cheeks reddened, her hand brushing hair out of her eyes, "never mind what I thought. Jane seems cool, that's all."

Cailin offered her friend a reassuring smile. "She is." It must have been an easy mistake to make. They told stories about cases like they were partners, each jumping in to mention something the other forgot. When they had funny stories to tell, their laughter fed off of one another, each trying not to set the other one off again before getting the rest of the story out. "I think she's coming over for dinner again tonight, Maura said something about catching up on Downton Abbey."

"That sounds cool." She fell back at the entrance of the next building, her hands tightening around her book bag. "Have fun!"

Cailin shrugged, her hands reaching into her pocket to find her headphones. "I mean, I've never watched, but it's better than hanging out in my empty house with my mother's babysitter."

"I still can't believe that." Her friend laughed as she slowly sidestepped in the direction she had to go. "So just send me the details about study group this week, and I'll make sure I get there."

"Will do, I just have to double check Maura's schedule." She raised her hand in farewell, her headphones making their way into her ears, and turned to walk toward the subway station.

The ride to Maura's house was never long, just long enough for Cailin to push her conversation with Alex from her mind and focus on reviewing the lectures she'd been in that day. They played through her head like a movie, the more pertinent and new information she'd learned coming to her before anything else, and she made mental notes to look up further information later.

She used the key Maura had given her to let herself in, surprised to find her half-sister home already. Maura was curled up on the couch, reading something on her iPad, her mouth pursed and eyebrows knotted together as she thought. It was the same expression her mother made when she read something new in her field, so similar that it was eerie to watch. So Cailin cleared her throat, alerting the older woman to her presence.

Her sister startled, dropping her iPad in her lap and looking toward the door. "Cailin! Sorry, I thought you'd be home later."

"My last class of the day was cancelled." She explained, dropping her book bag in one of the dining room chairs and sinking down on the opposite side of the couch. "How was your day?"

"Long." The iPad found it's way to coffee table, and Maura folded up her legs to make more room for Cailin to get comfortable. "I got a call at around four in the morning about a body dump. And I've been reeling in a cranky and sleep-deprived Jane ever since."

That made Cailin chuckle and relax, folding her own legs like her sister so she could face her better. "That sounds like loads of fun." Maura rolled her eyes at that statement, letting out a long groan of frustration that had Cailin laughing audibly. "So is Jane still coming over for dinner, or is she going home to sleep?"

"As far as I knew she was still coming. She didn't tell me anything otherwise."

"Great. I like Jane, she seems cool."

At that, Maura smiled, one of the most genuine and warm smiles Cailin had seen on her face. "She definitely makes life a little more interesting."

"That's always good." And then there was a lull. It happened from time to time with them. Which Cailin found completely frustrating. Maura was her sister, and according to memes and stories on Facebook, they were supposed to just click. And she knew that it had more to do with the fact that they didn't grow up together. That, added with the pressure she felt to connect after knowing that Maura gave up a kidney for her made things super awkward from time to time. And in the quest to find something to talk about, Cailin blurted the first thing that came to her mind. "Can I do some of my laundry here?" At Maura's raised eyebrow, she mentally kicked herself, but kept going, fiddling with her hands in her lap as she went. "I mean, I would just do it at home, but my Mom comes back tomorrow, and she never has time to do any on her trips. So between the two of us, it will just pile up and take forever, and I just want to stay out of her way."

"Of course you can do laundry, that's fine. I guess I'm just a little lost on why you felt the need to ask."

"I don't know, I guess I just didn't want to intrude." The excuse seemed dumb as she said it out loud, and she felt her cheeks begin to redden.

"Cailin, you aren't intruding. You are a guest in my house, and my family. Please, if you need to do laundry, do it."

Cailin breathed out a sigh of relief, letting the tension that had built up in her shoulders to dissipate. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." With that, Maura rose from the couch and made her way toward the kitchen. "I'm too exhausted to cook. What do you feel like ordering?"

Cailin rose too, setting her sights on the stairs to the guest bedroom. "I chose last night. It's your turn." Because that was how sibling were supposed to decide things, right?

"I'm thinking Chinese. Because I know what Jane likes. And if I try to force her to eat the healthier stuff, she'll raid the fridge."

"Sounds good to me. I like General Tso's." She shouted over her shoulder as she made her way upstairs.

There wasn't much she needed to clean, just the staples. Her favorite pair of pajama pants were a must to clean, as well as her professional outfit for her internship. A few shirts and pants, and she would be set at home while her Mom unpacked. Anything else she had to do, she could do afterward. As she leaned down to grab the pair of socks she knew she kicked under the bed the day before, her hand made contact with a pair of shoes that were too scuffed to belong to Maura. It didn't surprise her that much. She knew that Jane left some clothes here. The number of times she'd come over in her running gear and had to change for a case in a hurry had been too many to count. But it had been strange to find it all in the guest bedroom. In a weird way, Cailin felt more like she was intruding on Jane's space than Maura's over the past few weeks.

She carried all her laundry downstairs wrapped in her arms, struggling not to let her bra fall out on the floor. At the basement door, she struggled with the handle, even using her chin to try and keep the clothes steady. A shout from the island startled her as someone came running for the door. "Wait, let me help you." Jane's deeper voice was warm and filled with laughter as she helped Cailin, soft yet strong arms pulling her away and opening the basement door.

"If you'd like, there should be some empty baskets down there for when you're all done. If there aren't let me know, and I'll go steal them back from Angela." Maura's voice called from the couch.

"Is my mother seriously hoarding your laundry baskets?" That was the last thing Cailin heard as the door closed behind her.

When she got back upstairs, Maura was laughing, as Jane was telling some story about her brothers when they were younger. "Ma made Frankie and Tommy take naps. They were twelve and nine, but she made them take naps because of how ridiculous they were acting."

"Did they listen?" Maura asked, her eyes wide with rapt attention.

"I don't know! I didn't need to nap because I was acting my age, so I went down the street to hang out with my friend Rachel instead."

"I can't believe she did that!"

Jane laughed, sitting in one of the chairs at the island. "She told them if they couldn't act their age, they would be treated like little kids. They tried not to bicker about stupid things in front of her again."

"Wait, I missed it," Cailin interrupted, "what were they fighting about?"

Jane chuckled, turning to face the younger woman. "Tommy thought Frankie stole a blanket from his bed. He swore it was the comfiest blanket in the house, and that Frankie stole it. And Frankie riled him up by refusing to give it to him, saying it was his turn. Ma found the exact same blanket in the basement, told Frankie to give the other one back, and gave him the second one so they would stop. Instead, Tommy gloated because he got his way, and Frankie whined because the blanket 'wasn't the same.'" This had both Maura and Cailin giggling, and Cailin moved to one of Maura's lounge chairs to continue listening. "So Ma decided they were acting like toddlers and needed a nap."

"Oh, that's the worst. When you think you're all grown up and your parent tells you you're acting like a child." She knew that feeling all too well, and had experienced it recently. When her suspicions were confirmed about her new kidney, and she still had that unresolved and misplaced anger toward Maura. She'd threatened to stop taking her immunosuppressants so her body would reject the kidney. But her mother had yelled at her, calling it childish, and reminding her that this was a life-saving gift, not to be taken lightly. And after getting to know Maura, and understanding that she wasn't using her mother, just curious and unsure how to proceed, she felt guilty for being so angry in the first place.

"Oh, I agree." Maura spoke up, her smile warm. "But almost worse is when a parent tells you that they are disappointed in you. My father didn't say it often, but when he did it stung."

"Oh please," Jane scoffed, "what could you have done that disappointed your father?"

"Well, my protest on that horse wasn't his favorite thing that I've done." At that, Cailin perked up, using her eyes to silently beg for more information. But Maura turned red, shaking her head. "A story for another day, when I've had more wine, maybe."

Then the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of their food. And soon they were sitting around the dining room table, spooning food onto their plates, the conversation easier than it was when it was just her and Maura. And it was all Jane. She seemed to know what to ask to get them both talking, telling stories with an ease that wasn't possible when they were alone. It was like she understood their struggle to communicate naturally, and knew how frustrating it was, and then did something to improve both of their happiness. More than ever, Cailin found herself grateful for Jane's company.

After eating, Jane helped to clean while Maura queued up the remaining episodes of Downton Abbey they had to watch. They each sat on the couch, a glass of wine in Maura's hand and a beer in Jane's, and began to watch. I was clear that they were too tired to be serious, as Jane started repeating everyone, using a terrible British accent, and yelling about Violet actually being a cat every time she came on screen. And Maura gave history lessons every time something historical came up. How they managed to watch the show cohesively was a mystery.

But soon they quieted, as they grew more exhausted. And soon, Maura was laying down, her head resting on the armrest and tucking her legs underneath her body. "Maura, this was your idea. Don't fall asleep on me."

"I won't! I'm just resting my head."

Jane chuckled. "That's what I said last time, and you kicked me out."

"That's because you always fall asleep. And you snore too loud for me to finish the episode."

Jane gasped. "You finish without me? Traitor!"

Maura giggled, her hands coming up, clasped together, to rest just below her chin. "Oh please, like you don't do the same when we have movie nights."

Jane sat back, her arms crossing. "No comment."

"That's what I thought." Maura quipped, smirking from her position on the couch.

But as Jane predicted, Maura began to lose her battle with sleep as she lay there. Cailin watched as her eyes would stay closed for longer and longer, her head lolling ever so slightly as consciousness slipped away from her. And soon, she was the one sleeping on the couch, soft snores the only sound Cailin was paying attention to, the younger woman unsure of what to do.

"Don't worry," Jane whispered, seeing the worry on Cailin's face, "I sleep on this couch all the time. It's actually really comfortable."

"So I can just leave her here? I don't need to wake her?"

"Yeah, don't wake her. She always complains the next morning about her serrated rhythm being off or something." She glanced up on the clock on the wall, yawning and stretching herself. "I should get going anyway. We've had a long day."

"Yeah, I heard. I should move my laundry to the dryer so it's ready in the morning."

"Yeah, don't forget about that." She laughed, standing and searching for her shoes. But before slipping them on, she glanced back over to her sleeping friend. She bit the inside of her cheek as she considered something, never voicing her thoughts out loud. After a few moments, still barefoot, she dashed over to the hall closet, pulling something down from the top shelf. When she turned back toward Cailin, she could tell it was a crocheted blanket, with dark browns and maybe some deep purples. Jane came back to the couch and draped it over her friend, taking a few seconds to tuck a honey-blonde lock of hair behind Maura's ear. And that motion, that tender moment between the two women, brought Cailin's conversation with Alex back to the forefront of her mind. And she knew without a doubt what Alex meant when she referred to Jane as Maura's partner.

Jane slipped on her shoes and grabbed her keys, heading toward the door. "Goodnight, Cailin. I'm sure I'll see you around."

"Drive safe." Was all she managed to get out, now that her mind was going back over the last three weeks, compiling all the evidence. The secret glances between them, the ease in which they communicated with one another, the complete and utter lack of personal space. She thought back to her brief conversation that day with Maura, remembering the genuine smile that stretched across her half-sister's face as she thought about Jane. It was all clear to see. Maura was in love with Jane.

And she knew one more thing. She had to keep coming around to see how it all turned out.


A/N: This was actually the chapter I envisioned when I started this project. I hope you all enjoy, and I'm sorry for the delay!