Hey, y'all, so sorry for the long wait. I was struggling with this chapter, and, although it's not where I want it to be, I thought I'd throw it up here and see what your thoughts were. Now, just a heads up, I'm horrible at the case writing. So I'm mainly going to skim over that, and simply use it as a backdrop. If you were hoping for some really juicy murders and whatnot, this might not be your fic. BUT, on a good note, I'm really excited where we're headed and I've got the next couple of chapters pretty much mapped out. I hope you all are sticking with me. Keep talking to me; I love to know what y'all are thinking!
Jane was jolted awake by the ringing of her cellphone. She fumbled for it, confused as to why she wasn't in her own bed, until she managed to hit the bedside lamp on, and flood the room with some low lighting. There it was. Jane snatched it up, "Rizzoli," she growled, rolling onto her back. The sight of Maura, asleep, next to her made her jump. It all came back to her, the day before: Maura, Star Wars, Angela, falling asleep hand in hand with the blonde. Oh. Right.
Frost's voice was speaking on the other end, "Sorry. What?" Jane asked quietly, trying not to disturb her companion.
"I said, we got another body. Looks like the same m.o. We need you to get down here."
"Okay. Text me the address?"
"Yup," Frost sounded as tired as she felt.
"I'm on my way," Jane swung her legs over the edge and eased herself gently off the mattress.
"They're calling Dr. Isles now."
"What?" Jane hissed. "No! Don't. Tell them to call Pike. She's on a sick d-" but the ringing of Maura's phone cut her off. "Shit."
Maura didn't move. "Maur," Jane sighs, covering her mouthpiece with her hand, "Maur - your phone."
"Mmmm." The doctor reaches out blindly, grabbing her phone successfully on the first try and holds it to her ear. "Dr. Isles."
Frost is still on the other end. "Jane?"
"What?"
"Was that Dr. Isles' ring tone?"
"What?" the bemused tone in her partner's voice snapping her back to the cell in her hand.
"Are you at the Doc's house?"
"None of your business," Jane shakes her head furiously at Maura, but the doctor merely raises one eyebrow at her sleepily. "Don't go in," Jane whispers, "You're still sick." Just as Maura confirms that she'll be on scene as soon as possible. Jane growls and then realizes Frost is snorting with barely suppressed laughter.
"Shut up," she tells him. "I'll be there shortly," and she hangs up on him. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Frost this early. She was sure he'd be giving her some type of grief when she got to the crime scene, but she didn't want to hear it. So what if she was still at Maura's. Who gave a rat's ass anyway. It was her life, her friendship. She and the doctor could handle it however the hell they wanted.
Speaking of the blonde, she was already heading for her closet. "What are you doing?" Jane questioned. "You're on a sick day. They should have called Pike."
Maura pokes her head out from the doorway, "Well, technically, it is now the morning and therefore my sick day ended four hours ago."
Jane glances at the clock and waves away the statement.
"And I'm feeling much better," Maura adds.
Jane groans, knowing there's no way she'll get Maura to stay home. The doctor is a big girl; she can take care of herself. The detective can't help feeling a bit annoying, however, "Fine," she pouts as she heads for the guest room and her clothes. She'd prefer the blonde take another day, or two. She may have gotten over her fever, and Jane would let Maura continue to insist that she felt better, the detective was well aware that you don't almost pass out in your living room, struggle going up a single flight of steps, and then just pass it off as nothing. She might have to force the conversation, but Jane was already planning ways to get Maura to spill. To really open up, and let Jane in. She didn't care what it took.
The brunette got ready quickly, throwing on some clothes and brushing her teeth, then making two quick cups of coffee and pouring them into travel mugs just as Maura descended the stairs. "Why do you always look like you're going to a photo shoot?" she can't help herself from asking. Maura looks lovely, as usual. Certainly not as if she spent the past twenty four hours laying around the house with the flu.
But the doctor merely looks down at herself and shrugs self-consciously.
"I made you coffee," Jane indicates, trying to ignore how truly stunning the ME looks. It's four in the morning for God's sakes.
"Thank you," Maura says. "So, I'll meet you there? I take it Detective Frost texted you the address."
But Jane shakes her head, "Oh, no." If she can't keep Maura home, she can at least make sure Maura takes it easy. The image of Maura resting halfway up the stairs the night before seems to be branded in her mind's eye. Jane's protective instincts are in full swing and she doesn't want the doctor out of her sight. Maybe it's crazy and abnormal, but having just gotten her friend back, Jane wasn't ready to be apart from her yet. "We'll take my car."
"But, Jane, that doesn't make any sense."
Jane shrugs and hands the smaller woman her coat, practically pulling Maura out the door.
"I'll have to go back to the lab and you might have to question witnesses at the scene or-o-or something. We should drive separately, Jane. Really."
The detective is actively ignoring the rambling doctor as she unlocks her unmarked and opens the passenger side door. Jane waits patiently as the doctor continues to argue, all while sliding into the seat anyway, slams the door, and walks around the front of the vehicle. Maura can object as much as she wants, and she has a point, but this is what Jane has decided on. Her mind is made up.
"Maura. Stop." The doctor stares at her, mouth open. "Drink your coffee," Jane orders brusquely, pulling out of the ME's long driveway and heading for the address Frost had sent her. It's four am, and they've got a case.
Maura is right of course. After the scene has been processed, Jane keeping an eye both on the doctor and on the body, Maura is ready to head into the lab and begin the autopsy while Frost and Jane still need to stay a bit longer. Jane has been avoiding the looks Frost is shooting her, knowing he is curious, but also not giving a damn. He had given her, was it a smirk?, when she and the doctor had pulled up together in her car. Frost could go screw himself. God. She was not a morning person.
Jane noticed that although Maura looked happy and excited to get back for the autopsy, as happy as anyone could be around the dead anyway, she also looked slightly pale. No one else would have noticed, but Jane wasn't just anyone and she'd been paying attention for a reason. So, when Frost suggested that Maura take his car and he and Jane would take hers back to the precinct, Jane was quick to cut in.
"I'll drive you, Maur, just give me one more minute."
"Jane," Frost questioned.
"It's fine, Frost. You can handle this, right? And Korsak is still here. I'll just meet you guys back at the station, and we can try to figure out what the hell is going on here." Three rapes and murders in as many days. Jane was furious inside. But she gave Frost a slight smile, asking with her eyes and he nodded.
"Alright. See you back there. Glad you're feeling better, Doc!" he called, as the two headed back towards their car.
Jane couldn't resist resting her hand gently on the ME's elbow. The contact helped her feel slightly less anxious. The detective wasn't really sure what her deal was and why she was feeling so insanely protective of the blonde, but she wasn't going to fight it. Not right now anyway. Maura gave her a small smile and Jane couldn't resist smiling back.
"Hell of a start to the day, huh?"
"Don't swear, Jane."
Jane smirked, holding the door open for the doctor, mimicking her move from earlier. "What are your thoughts, Doc?"
"I don't know of course. We'll have to wait for the autopsy."
"Maura..."
"However," it was Maura's turn to smirk in the detective's direction, "the current evidence does seem to suggest that the victim was raped and then disposed of in a similar manner to the other two victims."
"Think we might get some sort of help off of this one? A piece of evidence that could point us in the right direction? We're pretty stumped so far, Maur," Jane couldn't help asking. She was feeling frustrated that they were having such a hard time with the case and wondered if there was anyway to have prevented the third murder. All of the girls were so young.
Maura, too poised to actually shrugged, merely looked thoughtful. "I hope so."
"Me, too," Jane muttered.
The two women lapsed into silence for the rest of the drive. Jane didn't really know how to bring up the past couple of days. Maura was always better at starting those types of conversations. And now that they were officially back on the clock, Jane didn't know if the doctor would even be receptive to having such a discussion. Her mind was half on the case and half on the doctor, her fingers tapping angrily on the wheel as she drove. Maura seemed to recognize that the detective was uncomfortably because she reached over and touched Jane on the forearm, bringing her out of her musings.
"I'll be alright, Jane. I'll take it easy today. And you can even come down and check on me if you want."
Jane gave the ME a quick glance, trying to read the doctor's face, see if there was anything else. "It's just the case, ya know," she said.
"You can observe the autopsy. That way you'll get any of my results as soon as they come in and hopefully you'll be able to figure it out, Jane."
Jane pulled up in front of the precinct and turned the car off. Mo better not stop by today or she'd be in trouble, but she couldn't bother parking further away. Unsure how to put her feelings into words, the stoic detective turned in her seat and faced the blonde. She reached out hesitantly and ran her hand down Maura's cheek. The doctor closed her eyes at the touch. Jane's heartbeat increased.
What the hell was she doing? She pulled away, startlingly the other woman. "Just, don't try and do too much today, alright? You were pretty sick yesterday."
Maura nodded, but Jane thought she could see disappoint in the doctor's hazel eyes. "Of course, Jane. I'll be sure to stay plenty hydrated."
Jane laughed. "Good."
"Thank you," Maura's voice was heartfelt. "For taking such good care of me."
Jane grinned at her. "Anytime," she squeezed the doctor's hand and let go, opening her door and stepping out. "Anytime, Maur."
The two women headed into the precinct, both wondering what exactly was going on with their friendship, both curious as to why the detective, normally so standoffish, had been the one to initiate contact, not once, but twice in the car. Both wondering why it felt so hard to leave the other in the elevator, when they'd just spent the past 3 months ignoring one another completely. Both getting into the mindset of their professional lives resolutely as they turned towards their prospective desks and got down to work. There were murders to be solved. They could have their necessary conversations later.
AN2 - So, thoughts?