By now, Maura had learned that Jane always believed she was right, even if you told her differently. Unless you could prove without a doubt that she was wrong, she'd fight you to the last, shuddering breath.
But Maura was a genius, and she just couldn't help herself, "If you push yourself too far, you'll set yourself back. You should continue to take it easy."
Jane leveled a stare in the blonde's direction, and they bickered about it for the remainder of the journey. The levity was a welcome distraction to the seriousness underlying every moment of every day with Hoyt on the loose.
What neither could predict was the fact that another package awaited Jane when they returned. This time, everyone gathered around in the kitchen when she opened the box. Collectively they drew breath as the werewolf claws spilled into Jane's bandaged palm.
Jane's jawline tightened as she dumped the claws back in the box. Everyone around Maura seemed to trade looks and so she asked, "What is it? What happened? What does it mean?"
Everyone seemed to defer to Jane. She was probably the dead middle of the group age-wise, but she commanded the team, at least how Maura saw it.
"It means that he's not just going after humans anymore. It means he's going after any of us." Jane placed her palms on the counter and leaned on them. Maura wondered how much pain that caused her. "It means that he's getting bolder and more serious."
"It means we've got to stop him. Now," Frost added, standing stiffly beside his parabatai.
Sean stepped up, "We have the extra help from Jane's detail. Let's bump up the patrol shifts, spread further out. Maybe even get the local authorities in on this."
"Yeah," Korsak interjected. "We can get two races to patrol every day, and just cycle through the days so that no one gets burned out and we keep the streets fairly safe. Any unusual activity demands hostile investigation. Everyone is armed. No one goes alone. Hourly calls from patrolling details to the Institute or else we go looking."
Sean nodded aggressively. "Let's do it, people!"
They all split off in different directions, Sean and Korsak to hold a meeting with the Downworlders, Jane and Maura upstairs to work on therapy, Angela to the kitchen because everyone would be hungry in the coming days of work, and the rest of the Shadowhunters to the training room and armoury to stock up on weapons and get in a few last minute rounds of martial combat practice.
When Maura inspected Jane's hands this time, she noticed that the brunette had been right. The scabs were almost entirely healed and an iratze was fading slowly on each palm.
She exhaled loudly and admitted rather grudgingly, "Alright. We can step it up a mark if you really want."
Jane chuckled. "It's 'step it up a notch', Maur, and you already know that I want to."
"Yes, I do," Maura agreed. "Alright then, mimic what I do and tell me when your wrists and fingers start to ache."
She led Jane through the same exercises they'd used before and it didn't take Jane as long this time, although she still struggled with a couple of the more in-depth movements. Instead of stopping there, though, Maura added more forms for Jane to push her hand through, some of them deceptively complex.
They went at it for almost three hours, repeating the entire rotation once more after the initial run through. Jane never once protested or asked Maura to stop, but even Maura's pristine, surgical hands could do with a rest after that much exertion and she knew for certain that Jane's were positively aching.
"Go find Frost and get him to give you a couple more iratzes. That should help. The rate you're going, maybe tomorrow or the day after you can attempt to train with some of your lighter weapons again." She shook her head in disbelief as Jane stood up. "Those Marks are amazing, the way they can aid you like that." She glanced up at Jane's towering form, "Do you have all of the routine Marks? Strength, agility, endurance, all of them?"
Jane nodded. "Of course." She pulled the collar of her t-shirt down a bit to reveal the intensely black marks dotting the top of her chest. "All right here, close to my heart, where they're the most effective. They're some of the first ones we get, and they stay on us forever. They're the more permanent tools of our trade."
It didn't take long for her to locate Frost with the others. He readily agreed to mark her again and then they all headed down to the kitchen after working up ravenous appetites. Jane stopped by Maura's room to make sure she joined them and couldn't help smiling indulgently when she noticed the blonde was sprawled across her bed, the Codex slung across her chest, and her eyes closed while she slept. Jane simply closed the door and told the waiting group that Maura wouldn't be joining them.
Everyone was in the kitchen, talking about the upcoming bust and the patrols they'd all be participating in. Jane did her stellar best to remain low profile and simply get in and get out without any hindrances. She'd almost succeeded, too, until she met Gabriel Dean, the faerie knight council member who'd volunteered for her protection detail.
"Jane," he greeted stoically, in true faerie fashion.
"Dean." Jane returned curtly, attempting to disengage quickly.
"Haven't seen you since I got this job," he stated rather obviously. She turned to look at him.
"And your point?"
He laughed flatly. "You haven't been avoiding me have you? You aren't still made about that little misunderstanding we had ages ago, right?"
Her nostrils flared in anger, sarcasm coming to her rescue. "Oh not at all, Gabriel. No, I couldn't possibly still be upset that you almost killed me on our date!"
Frost chose that moment to intervene, "Everything alright here, guys? Having a pleasant chat?"
Dean narrowed his gaze at the interrupting Shadowhunter. "Everything's fine, Frost. You may go."
Frost's stare turned deadly. "I think I'll stay actually." He puffed out his chest a little as he faced Dean solidly.
Jane rolled her eyes despite her brimming anger. "Alright you idiots, cut it out." She turned to Dean, "Stay the hell away from me, and don't try to kill me with any more of your damn faerie food." Glancing at Frost she muttered, "I'm going upstairs and I'm bringing Maura some food. You don't need to watch him all night."
Frost snorted. "I'm watching everyone, Jane. You're my partner. We look out for each other."
She gave him a small smile, heartfelt in its thankful meaning before she left the room. When she got back upstairs, the doctor was still asleep, but she needed to eat just as much as she needed rest, and so Jane shook her gently awake.
The blonde looked confused before her eyes managed to focus on the Shadowhunter sitting beside her on the bed. "Oh! Jane, hello, what brings you here?"
Jane nodded at the bedside table where a fully loaded plate of Angela's finest stood waiting. "I thought you might be hungry. I was tempted to let you sleep, but fuel is just as important and, well, the bed will still be there in a few minutes." She chuckled softly. "The food might not be. Lots of hungry warriors downstairs."
Maura squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you very much."
A companionable silence accompanied their meal and after, even though Jane's muscles were quivering and she knew Maura probably wanted to sleep, she asked to continue their therapy anyway.
Maura agreed and they spent another two hours exercising different muscles and fingers. When they finished, Jane sighed and said, "I wonder what I'll find on our doorstep tomorrow, Maur. Something from the warlocks? Humans? Us, perhaps?" She shook her head sadly. "If I just knew where he was…"
Maura almost slapped her. "Don't you dare, Jane Rizzoli. If you are thinking what I believe you're thinking, you had better not dare even think about that."
Thoroughly rebuked, Jane threw her hands up in the air in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, Jesus."
Still eyeing her warily, Maura said, "Just go to sleep, Jane. Everything will work out."
It was obvious that Jane didn't believe her, but the slight smile told Maura that she appreciated the gesture. "Yeah, of course, Maura." She got up from Maura's bed and walked over to the door. Pulling it open, "I'll see you tomorrow." It clicked softly behind her.
Mildly perplexed, Maura leaned back on her bed and sighed. "She is deceptively complex, I do not understand her," she murmured to herself. She reached blindly for the phone on the bedside table and hit the redial button. A touch of normalcy wouldn't hurt her.
Susie answered on the second ring. "Hello?"
"Hello Susie," Maura greeted.
"Doctor Isles!" Susie guessed happily.
"Fancy meeting for coffee tomorrow morning?" Maura asked, absently curling her hair around her finger.
"Sure, that sounds great. I have work, so the precinct café, eight o'clock?"
"That'd be lovely, Susie." Maura committed the time to her mind. "And remember: Maura."
Susie laughed and Maura glowed with pride. "Of course, Maura. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye." Their call ended.
CHAPTER FIVE
The day dawned to Jane finding a note on her own bedside table, a quick scrawl from Maura telling her that she was meeting an old colleague for coffee and not to worry: she'd return by nine-thirty.
There was no box on the doorstep when Jane checked before stalking into the kitchen for breakfast. The stoop was still empty when she checked after she'd eaten. The werewolves and warlocks were on patrol for the day, and the vampires were off in the basement, sleeping. The faeries tended to band together and stick to themselves in the library, something about being around knowledge which made them feel more at home.