Disclaimer: Neither Rizzoli & Isles nor Scott & Bailey belong to me. I am merely borrowing the characters.
A/N Thanks for the review. After this chapter they are will be in Manchester so Janet will come into it more. I did think about sending her to London but couldn't see a story-driven way to do it, as senior officer it had to be Gill who took charge. Jane has a lot of pent up feelings about Maura's problems but she can't express them in a open visiting room in a prison with guards listening in. Will Jane and Rachel last? In some ways they are very similar personalities but only one of them has a self destruct button...
Maura's trial was three months away so Jane and Rachel decided they could spend some time in the US.
The flew out a week later, planning to stay for two weeks.
Boston, US, Jane's Apartment
Frankie Jr had organised the party. The signs said "Welcome home Jane" on Angela's insistence but everyone knew this wasn't Jane's home any more, her heart was elsewhere.
"Couldn't you come over here and be a cop here?" Angela asked Rachel.
"I wouldn't want to carry a gun, or live somewhere with inadequate healthcare. And I'd definitely miss the chippy, as would Jane! In addition it is easier to get Jane to the UK than it is for me to come here. Equal immigration rights for same sex partners has been UK policy for 15 years." Rachel put her foot in it.
Fortunately Jane overheard and quickly intervened.
"Rachel, come and meet my jailbird brother, Tommy"
Rachel left Angela standing open mouthed.
Angela turned to Korzak.
"Did you just hear what that limey bitch said? But I'll give her the chippy!"
"Yeah, and the first part is something you'll find with a lot of British cops. Guns are alien to them, they think that carrying them does more harm than good. The part about the healthcare system? The NHS is loved over there. Not even Margaret Thatcher could get rid of it, and she wanted too. No insurance premiums for anyone, no co-pays. Everything covered. Costs the economy about half what our system does. Got to admit it's attractive!
"Can't blame them for thinking about which country would be more accepting of their relationship either, don't under estimate it. Being gay here is still tough, especially compared to the UK."
Meanwhile Rachel was being introduced to Tommy.
"So this is the girl that stole my little sister's heart! Got to admit Jane's got good taste."
At this point he was interrupted by Giovanni.
"Yeah real waste!"
"Listen pal, come over to Manchester and say that, you'll spend the night in a Police cell." Rachel found Giovanni instantly dislikeable.
"Whhhoooo! She is a cop!" said Tommy.
"Keep moving Giovanni or we'll forget this isn't Manchester and take you back in handcuffs" Jane intervened in support of her girlfriend.
"Soooo what's this Manchester place like then?"
"Well, it is on the west coast of an island off the west coast of a continent so it rains a lot. But it's the gay capital of Europe. The very successful GB cycling team are based there too. It was one of the main centres of the Industrial Revolution.
"Two of the biggest football teams in Europe are based there. There's an international cricket ground. Two Universities. Manchester University was where most of the early work on the structure of the atom was done. The countryside around is pretty and easy to get to. Oh and there is a statue of Abraham Lincoln!" said Rachel.
Jane laughed. "But most of all there is a great gay scene. But Rachel tell him what the local prison is called" she said.
"Strangeways" Rachel said with a sad note in her voice.
"Sorry, forgot."
"It's all right."
"Forgot what?" asked Tommy.
"My brother's in there" replied Rachel.
"Oh, I was in prison over here, maybe he and I should compare notes on having cops for sisters."
Rachel smiled weakly. Jane glared at Tommy.
Frankie came to join them.
"Sooo! Cananaugh wants to know if you're bringing Rachel in tomorrow."
"Rachel, you want to see Boston PD in action?" Jane asked.
"Yeah all right then, but it'll be sad not seeing Frost." Rachel replied.
"Yeah" said Jane and Frankie in unison with a heavy sigh.
Next day Boston PD.
Jane walked into the building with Rachel. Jane showed her badge. Rachel showed her warrant card
and was given a visitor's pass.
They went up to BRIC where Frankie and Korzak were working on a new case.
Korzak told Frankie to explain it to Jane and Rachel.
Rachel was looking intently at one of the mortuary photographs.
"I don't think these are cigarette burns." she said.
"What are the then?" asked Jane.
"Stab wounds with a phillips head screwdriver. You'll have to get the pathologist, sorry, medical examiner to incise the wounds to make sure, but I've seen these before on a case and once you've seen it you can't mistake it." said Rachel.
Korzak was on the phone to the CSI's
"Have you still got the toolset found in the MacKinley case?" he enquired.
"Good. I want a DNA test on each of the cross head screwdrivers in the set, we're looking for the vics. DNA on the shaft and tip and Price's on the handle. Do prints on the handle and blood on the shaft and tip too." Korzak put down the phone.
Korzak then made another call to the ME's office to request incising of the wounds.
About 20 minutes later the phone rang.
"Korzak"
"Thanks" and with that he put the phone down.
"Seems like you might be right, Rachel. That was the lab, they've found blood on one of the screwdrivers. The DNA test will take a day or two but its enough to hold our suspect for now." said Korzak.
Cavanaugh came into BRIC to see how the case was going.
"We're holding Price pending DNA on a screwdriver. Thanks to Manchester's finest." said Korzak
That night Jane and Rachel decided to try out the Boston gay scene. They ended up going to Merch, a bar where Jane had done an undercover operation with Maura.
"Hey! I didn't expect to see you again! Your friend not with you?" The owner of the bar said.
"Yeah, never know what direction life will take you. And Maura? You've not read the papers?" Jane was close to tears.
"Sorry, honey, didn't mean to upset you, just hadn't appreciated that was her. Anyway what are you doing here." The owner asked.
"Showing my girlfriend, Rachel, the Boston scene. I doubt she's impressed." Jane indicated Rachel, who was sitting at one of the tables waiting for Jane to join her.
"Why wouldn't she be impressed? She from New York or somewhere!"
"Have you ever been to Manchester, England?"
"No!"
"Gay capital of Europe, which means its gay scene rivals LA's and New York's put together. That is her home town. Soon to be mine too!"
"Wow emigrating as well! Really adventurous, I'll have to visit!"
Jane ordered drinks. The owner said she'd bring them over so Jane joined Rachel at the table.
"Hey, you must be Rachel, nice to meet you!" said the owner when she brought the drinks over.
"Hi, nice to meet you too." said Rachel.
"So you managed to turn this one, I thought she was hopeless!"
"Well actually we just kind of fell in love with each other."
"Oh? But the gay scene where you live? I gather it's really good?"
"Yeah it is, over 40 venues and tremendous variety too!" said Rachel.
"This is a big city then?"
"Not that big – about half the size of Boston."
For the rest of their time Jane showed Rachel around Boston. Jane packed things she wanted shipping to Manchester, and made arrangements to rent out her apartment for a year.
They then flew back to Manchester.