She hadn't made it very far into Santirello's before her reputation betrayed her, and upon notice every police offer offered her a greeting like a chorus.
"Dr. Death good to see yah."
"Hey, Doc."
"Doctor Isles."
"Hey, Doctor Isles."
It was like a domino effect of well-meaning professional curtsies that on any other day when stealth wasn't the main objective would have flattered her. Right now though as she reached the center of the crowded delicatessen and a certain raven haired detective poked her head up from behind a booth and locked eyes with her mid chew she felt a feeling that lacked integrity.
Maura pushed it away as she took several more calculated steps forward.
She couldn't really be annoyed with them for being polite.
Besides, the back exit which Jane just glanced at was occupied with a frozen food delivery, it would be ridiculous to try and escape that way.
She had her trapped.
Maura shook her head in amusement when Jane realized this and began to eat her sandwich faster.
The homicide detective who could shoot the hair off a pig, jump off bridges, find her way out of sinking cars, dash heroically into crumbling buildings, and survive being tortured by a serial killer had made it clear by incredibly comical and ridiculous means that she did not want to see Maura for the rest of the day.
Maura clicked over to the booth and stood beside it as Jane hurriedly chewed her sandwich avoiding all eye contact.
"Jane." Enough was enough.
"…Yeah?" She continued to look ahead of her.
"May I sit?"
Her chewing slowed and she chanced a glance at the ME before motioning with her sandwich to the empty space across from her.
Maura smiled to herself as she slid into the cracking booth and took her gloves off. She stacked them neatly beside her on the table and waited. Jane had slowed down her chewing but was really focusing on the specks of black peppercorn inlayed into her Italian salami just so, She wondered how they got them in there all of a sudden and was about to ask her friend when she realized she couldn't and in turn decided to stuff a particularly larger bite into her mouth.
"You weren't at your desk." Maura began. It was hard not to smile, she tried though. Jane was so clearly embarrassed about what happened earlier.
Jane chewed slowly so only one corner of her mouth was able to open enough to speak. "Evidence."
"That's what Korsak told me." She paused. "But you weren't there either."
She shrugged and finally looked up at Maura's face fully after swallowing. "I got hungry." She took a much smaller bite now.
"You had lunch already." She couldn't read her expression with her chewing, maybe that was the point. "Do you want to talk about what happened earlier?" Maura watched as the alarm returned to Jane's face before she shook her head no. "I'd like to. I think we should."
Jane groaned. "Maura…" She begged.
"But it's not just about me." She continued. The detective looked at her at that. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay." She looked around them at the busy sandwich shop and then back to Jane. "It seems as if you are." Jane continued chewing and Maura leaned forward some to speak quietly. "Sometimes you are very difficult to read."
Jane frowned and took her time to put her sandwich down and wipe her hands. Her frown disappeared and was replaced with one that was unsure and calculating; as if she were weighing the end result of saying what she had to say next against most everything. She looked around them once again at their colleagues before leaning across the table some and lowering her tone, there was a sudden seriousness in her gaze that pulled Maura in. "Earlier… Did you like it? How we felt?" She didn't want to mix matters: and if Maura really wanted to read she supposed she could open the book some to let her.
Maura blinked in surprise while her brain pelted forth a flurry of responses. She knew right now wouldn't be the time to list the enzymes responsible and under the obstructing businesses of their surroundings she wasn't sure she could with confidence anyway. So the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts simply nodded without breaking eye contact. "You've… always felt…" She covered her own wrists with her hands when their recent embraces came to mind. "Wonderful, Jane." Jane nodded to herself and looked away quickly which stirred an immediate panic in the blonde. Had she shared too much? "Are you conflicted?"
Jane sighed heavily. "No…I'm…" She shrugged. "Embarrassed." She looked back at her with a small smile. "I'm just really embarrassed, Maura." She shook her head at herself.
Maura nodded slowly as she sat up some in her seat and waited for Jane to say something more and when the detective just looked at her without guard Maura wondered how many intimate moments this ratty old booth in Santirello's had truly seen. "It's okay." She said quietly before nodding once to validate it. It was, it truly was. Jane's expression softened and Maura could feel every bit of tension between them drift away. "Will you avoid me forever in this embarrassment?" She was going to want to reach out to her friend, hold her hand possibly, but that wasn't something they could do right now. A friendly distance was to be expected of them and for now the ME was okay with recognizing why. Jane looked less stressed out though, and that was all that mattered.
Jane finally chuckled. "No."
"Well then I suppose it's a natural feeling to need to process alone." She tapped the table once. "Although next time I would prefer if you would say that it is what you need so I don't spend the better part of my lunch hour looking for you..." She hadn't been bothered at all, but she would admit to being a little more than concerned.
"I think you're right."
" Was it productive?"
"Something." Maura made an amused noise and Jane's smile widened a little at it. "Never knew you could google mouth that fast."
Maura nodded and leaned against her elbow on the table, her ears burned at the memory. "I think I was a little embarrassed too."
Jane openly marveled at this. "You?"
She shook her head. "A newly installed processing interface gives me the ability to mimic human emotions quite well."
Jane burst into laughter at this before picking up her sandwich. "See that is funny."
"No more lactation jakes."
"Please."
They laughed together until nothing but small flushed smiles were left and curious eyes. Jane broke contact first by looking about them before looking to her sandwich.
Maura hadn't asked if Jane thought she felt wonderful too because she hadn't had to. She had to admit though; Jane's question had taken her off guard some. What did a verbal confirmation to a known fact mean? Had their goof up today stirred something else Jane was comfortable to leave settled? Though open minded on many levels Jane was one who liked very clear guidelines, the law, her role in her family unit, the detective without a task was almost hilarity. It didn't matter if she didn't want to do it or not, Jane Rizzoli valued structure. Maura was stricken with the observation just then that it were quite possible that they were more alike than they ever thought. Verbal confirmation allowed the script to be written to mirror the new information, it allowed for guideline amendments, it allowed for footnotes,..
"Detective Rizzoli! Dr. Isles!" The two women snapped out of their own thoughts quickly at a younger officer clad in his crisp BPD uniform with a sandwich wrapped in butcher paper and his hat tucked under his arm. "Late lunch huh?" He grinned.
Maura clasped her hands on the table and smiled politely. She was sure she wouldn't be able to do much about the blush at her cheeks now but she would try. "Yes. How are you office Rollins?"
He nodded happily. Maura and Jane had recently made speeches at his Academy graduations. "Doin' alright doin' alright." He looked over at Jane who was nodding but saying nothing and then back at Maura who seemed a little more enthused about his presence. "It sure is cold huh?"
Maura nodded, a small smile appearing. Jane sometimes had the hardest time masking her thoughts. "It is, Detective Rizzoli and I were just talking about that." She turned to Jane and gave her a look. "Weren't we, Detective?"
Jane perked up and cleared her throat. "Yeah, don't think we'll get a spring at all." Maura was always so damn nice to the recruits.
Rollins smiled wider, it looked painful. "I know." He chatted with Maura mainly for a moment more before excusing himself and wishing them a good lunch.
Jane put her hands up the scars on her palms showing themselves in her defense when he left and Maura gave her a look. "I'm eating; everyone here knows to leave me alone."
"It's your second lunch, Jane." She shook her head.
"It's still a union approved break, Maura."
"He's sweet"
"You're too nice." Jane motioned to her sandwich wanting to change the subject all together. Maura had missed her own lunch looking for her and she realized she felt bad. "Hungry?"
The ME sighed. "Do you think they have any soup left?" She reached for a creased menu wedged between the salt and pepper shakers and a sticky ketchup bottle to her far right.
"It's pretty late." Jane looked over her shoulder at the service counter. "We can ask."
On their walk back to the precinct both women remained quiet until Jane noted the tall building she had worked in for a better part of a decade approaching them. BPD signified a lot for her, pride mostly, and some irreversible loss. Right now it signified the end of their walk, and soon Maura would enter a different elevator and they'd go another few hours without reason to really see each other. Jane had had plenty of work to do but if she didn't do what she had been thinking of doing for the entire week now she wasn't sure she'd get much of it done.
"This weekend should be fun." She began with a small nod as they slowed down some on the sidewalk that had brought them to BPD.
"A day at the zoo." Maura looked over at her and smiled in agreement. "I am curious to see how Tommy does."
"Do you think she'll take him back?"
"I couldn't say, so much time has passed."
"Hm." They started up the steps to BPD.
"Do you have an opinion?"
"I'm really impressed with how mature he's handling things. Never thought that day would come, and now that it has I feel a little bad for not cheering him on more…. Any woman who doesn't see all this growing up isn't good enough for him anyway." Tommy had said he loved her so there was this tiny part of Jane that worried how he would take that not being reciprocated; she'd be there this time though that she was sure of.
"I don't believe Tommy would ask for your help unless he felt he could rely on you, Jane." She paused before continuing up the stairs. "Do you think Lydia has changed?"
Jane huffed. "Psh no." Maura shook her head.. "Wha?"
"She most certainly has had to."
"What you guys get brunch or something?"
"Are you upset you weren't invited?"
"Not really…"
Maura smiled. "I'm looking forward to it, thank you for inviting me."
Jane shrugged cutely. "Well you're Aunty Maura, you gotta be there."
Maura smiled and opened her mouth to say something before being interrupted by her ringing cell phone. "Excuse me." She nodded as she reached for it. Jane stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked around them. "Dr. Isles." The phone call seemed professional, Maura being very clear with a directive and making easy transitions into teaching moments. When she was done she clutched her purse with a small sigh before slipping her phone back inside.
"What happened?" Jane asked looking back to her. They had no more stairs to climb and were cluttering the landing. In the lobby glass door's reflection they looked like any old pair; gal pals shuffling to return from a late lunch Jane could see her hesitance in it and tried to straighten her posture and took a slow and even breath to get somewhat of a grip on what she was trying to circumnavigate She knew how she felt, now without question how Maura felt, but was It possible to be too familiar? They had been on this landing before after lunch holding onto the last bit of gossip about the things they tried to separate from their professional lives; some man Maura had went on a date with, Casey's proposal, the baby… Had they avoided it then or was that just another thing about life? Sometimes everything you had thought you wanted wasn't at all what you'd come to want and it had been familiarity that left you anxious about the truth.
"Nothing." Maura smiled as she shouldered her bag. "Simple supply distributors, an employee of mine was checking a substitution for our cleaning agents." She paused. "You would truly be surprised at what the federal government allows medical examiners to use."
Jane chuckled. "I'm sure it's scandalous."
"Truly!"
Jane pulled her hands out of her pocket only to return them there a moment later, Maura raised a manicured brow at this, her smile softening when she realized that Jane hadn't opened the lobby doors for her yet like she usually did. There was something more that needed to be said that couldn't beyond those doors and Jane was wearing this adorable look of indecision. "So what else you got planned for this weakened?" She asked as nonchalantly as she could.
Maura adjusted her coat about her. "Well I have fencing Sunday morning, and I wanted to see what spring greens were available at the market…" Was she supposed to say something more?
"Spring greens?" Jane motioned to them both of them being bundled up.
"Well it is a little early but there was a hydroponics grower at the green market last week that I want to go to. The micro greens last weekend were so full of flavor."
Jane nodded. "Yeah they were pretty… heathy?"
"I'm not sure how you would remember after all of that ravioli."
Jane chuckled. "Listen you keep cooking like that and we're gonna have problems."
Maura seemed confused. "I thought you liked them. Why would there be problems?" She pointed. "Was it the dough?"
"Oh, no I mean like I liked it so much that…." She shook her head. "Anyway that it? For weekend plans?"
Maura nodded but then smirked softly. "I haven't received any interesting offers thus far, what about you?"
"I switched being on call this week with Nina so that she and Frankie could go look at a wedding venue and meet with some planners."
"Does Angela know?"
"No, and Angela won't know, Maura." She nodded sternly.
"This again?" Maura smiled with her eyes. "My lips are sealed."
"Meaningless, one compliment about your ravioli and you'll be revealing all our secrets to the old lady."
They laughed. "Not all, Jane…" Maura said finally.
They looked at each other and smiled shyly but Jane rolled her eyes and groaned when she realized how silly she wa sbeing. "This is really hard." Her face was beginning to redden and she for the life of her couldn't understand why. Maura was making her nervous, and all her confidence on the matter had been reduced to this morning.
Maura shook her head, eyes full of mirth. "Why don't you go ahead and say what you wish to say, Jane."
"You're not gonna kiss me are you?" She looked unsure.
The ME looked around them at the busy police station entrance. "Not here, no." She answered seriously.
Jane cleared her throat some and tried to pull her smile in check. She had to remember to be reasonable, sensible, no matter how her chest tightened and her stomach did those annoying flips, this wasn't just any extraordinary woman, this was Maura, her Maura, her best friend. "So I'm probably going to be here Sunday…" Maura nodded, a gentleness returning to her features. "But Saturday night? Do you want to finish the experiment then?"
"You won't be tired from the zoo?"
Jane shook her head quickly. "No."
"Then that sounds lovely." Now Maura shied. "I thought you had forgotten." She nodded. "Saturday night works for me."
"Cool."
They stood there a moment before Jane motioned to the precinct. "We should go inside now." she reached an arm out but laughed at the amount of sudden playful energy out of the ME when she jumped forward to open the door for her before Jane could. "Maura." She warned with a grin as they entered the heated lobby and prepared to scan in. Maura only glanced at her over her shoulder feigning innocence as she used her credentials to scan in.
##
Maura emptied the small bag of baby carrots into the strainer placed in her sink with one hand and ran cold running water over them as she nodded to what Tasha was saying on the phone pressed to her ear with the other.
"That sounds fascinating, I can't wait!"
"Do you think Jane would want to come to that?" The college student asked with a knowing grin.
Maura made an amused humming noise as she jostled the carrots about in their cold bath before taking the water off and drying her hand in her apron. "Well I believe we have quorum?" Tasha laughed on the other end. "However it wouldn't be a bad idea to propose it in such a way that would make it seem like her idea."
"I'm going to leave all that to you, Maura."
Maura chuckled as they continued to talk about the trip while the doctor prepared zoo snacks for TJ and the others. Jane hadn't slept over last night but had called frantic with the task after Tommy called in arms about how unromantic concessions stand food was, and how he wanted to show Lydia that he could provide more nutritional balance in the little guy's life but also that he was working a graveyard shift and wouldn't have time to. Frankie was already working late with Jane and Nina leaving Maura.
She hadn't minded at all. It was actually a means of good distracted energy from her lack of sleep the night before and general nerves about she and Jane. The detective had sounded tired on the phone but very grateful. Apparently Angela had a laundry list of things that she wanted to get done today before the zoo and Jane being the dutiful daughter she was strained her only morning off to help out. A part of Maura had always admired Jane's commitment to family, and another part wanted her to be a little selfish sometimes. Surely after a week of being back to work and three homicides open Jane probably just wanted to sit around and eat overly sugary cereal and watch baseball. Instead she was outside in the nippy air cleaning a drain.
Maura wanted to make their trip to New York fun. Yes she had to work and Jane had her obligations with the FBI but she wanted it to at least feel like a mini vacation of sorts. They deserved it.
"Yes and eventually we will have to sit through a hockey game so she forgets the hours of being forced into experiencing beautiful art and culture." Maura added.
"Alright, I'll even buy her a foam finger."
She began drying the baby carrots now. "I think she would like that."
Tasha moved to her small dormitory window. "Can you believe it's snowing here?"
"Snow?" Maura looked up from her assembly line of snacks to the back door where Jane had just emerged clad in worn jeans, a battered dark blue hoody and a BPD baseball cap on. The two locked eyes as Jane made it a point to slip out of her dirty sneakers before coming into the kitchen. Maura held a hand over the receiver end of her cell phone as Jane approached to admire the counter full of plastic baggies and various snacks. "Good morning." She flushed at the mute kiss on the cheek Jane offered in greeting, the brim of her cap nuzzling her temple in a way that made Maura reach up to absently touch the area when Jane moved away to look at the snacks again. Jane's brown eyes were warm albeit a little sleepy and there was a stiffness in her step that Maura decided to address later. "There's coffee." She motioned behind her to the coffee pot on the opposite counter before going back to listening to what Tasha was saying about some kind of pocket of air pressure approaching the city. "Unbelievable," She commented. "It's just been rainy here, a little icy.." Maura nodded as she began to zip up the baggies of carrots. "Yes, I will remember to bring the applicants along. Jane and I were talking about opening the scholarship up to multiple students this year…Yes…"
"S'Tasha?" Jane asked before clearing her throat so she didn't sound like a chainsaw.
Maura turned and nodded. "Would you like to speak to her?"
Jane nodded and reached her free hand out, the other wrapped protectively around her mug of coffee. "Hey Ms. Columbia," She smiled into the phone. "—I know… yeah well you only call Maura so how am I supposed to know what news you get and what you don't?" Jane glanced at Maura. "Yeah it's only on a freelance contract so….still pretty cool I guess…government clearances? Tasha I'm just going to be teaching…" She let out a small laugh. "Mhm….Alright then, yeah…okay, here's Maura." Jane handed her the phone and went to refill her coffee.
The two talked for a moment more before ending the call. Jane came to stand beside Maura. "Maur thanks for doing this but I think the idea was snack not feast…"
Maura tossed her a small smile. "I have some fruit, raw vegetables, roasted chicken Panini, olives, German potato salad, pickles, soft buns, and child meatballs; it's hardly a feat Jane."
Jane shook her head. "Where did you get the time to make all this?" Maura looked away and Jane raised a brow. "Again?"
The pathologist sighed. "I don't know." She moved away from Jane to go into her pantry for glass tupperware.
Jane frowned and waited for her to return. "Did you make a doctors appoint—"
"Be careful to stay hydrated, eliminate all unnecessary stressors, eat right." She gave Jane a pointed look. "I'm a doctor Jane, anything short of vision instability and loss of cognition doesn't warrant a scan of any kind." She unstacked the glass containers and began looking for their associated lids.
Jane pursed her lips. "I know you're a doctor, Maura."
"Will you pass me that foil?"
Jane looked behind her to the counter where she was leaning and grabbed the roll of foil. "It wouldn't hurt to still see somone. Aren't you the one telling me all the time how important sleep is?"
"This week looked promising."
"Yeah until the other night and last night."
Maura took the foil and smiled when Jane wouldn't let it go. "I'll be fine." Jane still didn't let go. "Jane."
"When are you going to let me win?" Jane asked playfully after letting go of the roll of aluminum foil finally.
"When you actually do." Maura answered simply.
Jane took a sip of her coffee. "Well if you do get any vision instability or—"
"You will be the first person I tell."
"I mean that is of course unless Ma is your medical power of attorney now…" Maura looked at her at that. "What?"
"It is still my mother."
"Which one?"
"Constance"
"She'd have to be in the country to make any decisions first."
"I don't understand your mood."
Jane watched her continue to organize the lids and containers. She sighed. "Sorry."
"What's bothering you?" Maura looked up at her.
"I'm just worried about your big ol' brain I guess."
Maura smiled. "And?"
"And I really really really wish I were in bed right now." Jane whined.
Maura chuckled. "You could have said no."
Jane brought her coffee cup to her mouth and just at that moment the back door flung open and Angela stood smiling. Jane groaned. "Do you think if I just ignore her she will go away?"
"Janie." Angela began.
"Where are your brothers?" Maura asked under her breath.
Jane picked herself off from leaning and scoffed. "What you weren't aware? Love leaves you utterly paralyzed to the notion of responsibility and chore." She chuckled before putting her empty mug down. "What Ma!?" she adjusted her baseball cap on her head.
"I need your help with this rug too. Can you move it into the other room?"
Jane groaned. "I moved that rug last month Ma, what you change your mind all of a sudden?"
Angela put her hands on her hips as she smiled at her eldest child approaching. "Not all of a sudden, it's taken me a month."
"I hope you know you are literally killing me."
Angela chuckled and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't be so dramatic, honey."
An hour or so later Jane bounced the stairs two at a time grabbing hold of the polished banister to better propel herself forward. "Maura!" She continued to yell. The short woman was nowhere to be found on the first floor and Jane could have sworn that's where she left the little cutesy tool box Maura kept under the sink after fixing the ME's bathtub all those months back. "Maura!" Jane smirked a little. Maura hated when she yelled for her like this; as if there were a fire. She said it always raised her flight response and she hated the way her sympathetic nervous system sent her adrenal medulla messages to release hormones she didn't need.
Irreverently unsustainable
"Maura!" Jane jumped to the last step and took a moment to catch her breath, The Isles Estate as she liked to think of it had a rather modest second level. The hall was warm and the walls were painted smoothly with sleepy colors while the hard wood floors granted it certain brightness she couldn't really explain why but was sure there was some scientific explanation. Priceless works of Victorian era art hung along the walls with the occasional wall plant, at the end of the pathway a small window bled the morning light in through sheer curtains. The green bathroom or what Jane had really come to know as her own bathroom when she stayed over was to her right exactly across from Maura's bedroom suite. "Mauraaa" She dragged out quieter now when she spotted the woman through the doorway bringing something in a black dry cleaner bag from her closet.
"I hope you know I am choosing to ignore this behavior." She said without looking up from the article of clothing she was freeing.
Jane grinned while raising her hands as she padded into the room. "I couldn't find you."
"Eventually you would have."
"Where's that tool box I left under the sink? Ma wants to hang something but all she's got is a screw driver over there." Jane shook her head.
Maura unzipped the dry cleaning bag and pulled out a simple satin dress. "I wonder if the sight of tools reminds her of your father." She thought distractedly as she pinched the material gently and nodded to herself.
Jane took off her baseball cap and sat on the edge of Maura's king sized bed. "Should we start the clock now for my hour session or when I get to the part where I talk about them splitting?"
Maura looked up from her organizing to return to it after the quick visual checkup. "It was only a curiosity of mine."
"I mean I guess maybe, I don't really blame her though he left tools all over the place…"
"Have you spoken to him since the hospital?"
"Noo." Jane stood. "Do you know where the tool box is?"
"Noo."
Jane sighed. "I left it downstairs."
"Jane honestly." Maura picked up another black dry cleaner bag from her small stack and unzipped it. "Do you really think I would move it?" She honestly didn't know what was even in it anymore, Jane had commandeered it years ago and Amazon had only provided a brief description of its contents. The plumber's daughter laughed at its white chest and pink handles so hard that the ME had given up trying to use it in Jane's presence.
"I don't know." Jane shrugged and motioned her cap at the pile of empty dry cleaning bags on the ground beside Maura. "You'd take it to build Frankenstein or something. Who knows what you really do here when I'm not around."
Maura was amused but didn't stop her work. "Jane Frankenstein was the doctor, not the monster—"
"—What's the difference?"
"I'm trying to tell you. It wouldn't hurt you to be patient." She was smiling though.
"It would." Jane nodded seriously. "Now what am I gonna use?" Maura shrugged and stepped into her walk in closet to hang another dress. "You don't care?"
"I don't care." Maura sang in the sweetest voice.
Jane chuckled. "Who's the monster now?" Maura could be heard laughing to herself. "Alright you really don't know though?"
She emerged with a hanger in hand. "I'm sorry Jane I haven't seen it."
"Alright well I guess that picture of all of us is gonna have to wait… maybe I can go home and grab my box."
"What time is everyone getting here?"
Jane picked her right hand up and pushed aside the sleeve of her hoody. "In an hour."
"There isn't time, you aren't even dressed."
Said the woman who once literally took four hours to get ready. "Maura it will take me three minutes to change—"
"And shower?"
Jane nodded slowly. "Right yes…and shower."
Maura shrugged at her over her shoulder. "You just look like you've been working to move her in instead of helping her with a few chores."
"The Master Manipulator." Jane turned to leave.
"Are you still sure you would like to finish our experiment tonight?" They still had the whole day of family time and no doubt Jane would be the main one running around with TJ. She didn't want to be the reason Jane was tired tomorrow when she had to actually go to work and put herself in the line of danger if a call did come through. "We could always reschedule." She nodded when Jane turned to look at her.
"I don't mind."
"Rescheduling?"
"No I mean y'know, helping out. Later all we're doing is walking around and looking at animals right?"
Maura smiled. "Right."
##
Jane plopped down heavily on the small wooden bench inside the darkened cave where Boston Central Zoo's bat cave was. Her breath came ragged and even in the dimness of the artificial tomb Maura could see the sheen of perspiration that occasionally clung for dare life to a thick stands of black curls.
Maura smiled at her and waited for Jane to catch her breath and look at her. The detective rolled her eyes. Maura looked damn cute in her white pleated shirt and beige leggings that matched her beige Boston Central "Friend of the Zoo" hat she got when donating Bass and an ungodly amount of money to their facilities a few years back but Jane was annoyed right now, there was no place for cuteness. Maura hadn't looked like she even lifted a finger all day and here she was sweating down to her bones.
"Would you like some coconut water?
"Coconut water, Maura? Really?" Jane looked back at her. "What I need is an IV."
Maura chuckled among the group's various bags she was guarding. "The evidence that it is actually better than plain water for hydration is unfortunately lacking, but it is rich in potassium and tastes quite yummy." She nodded. "I brought you one."
Just then TJ leapt forward at the bench and grabbed Jane's hand. "Aunty Jane! Let'a go look at da bats! We can climb dem!" His grin was wide and toothy and Jane tried with every bit of her being to stand her ground but she couldn't. She hadn't seen TJ so happy in a while and that struck her as odd. He was a toddler, a small human who had no bills and didn't have to fill up a car with gas, why now did he seem so full of life? She glanced back at Maura who paused in retrieving the beverage and reminded to ask the ME about it later as she let herself be pulled upright.
"You can't climb bats Bud, I don't think they would like that." TJ continued to pull her.
"I think he is referring to the playground, Jane." Maura pointed.
Jane furrowed her brows and followed the ME's point and groaned. "Is there a playground at every damn exhibit?" She looked back at Maura helplessly as she was being tugged along. "What kind of place is this?"
Maura watched her being dragged fondly and turned only when Nina and Frankie returned from looking for bats. Angela had been dropped off at the gift shop and Tommy and Lydia were somewhere strolling. The day had been full of all kinds of lovely moments and the ME was grateful to be a part of it. It made her think of her parents then, and their trips together as little girl. They were much quieter and definitely less sweaty but she had made it a mental note to call them tomorrow at some point or send them an email. TJ would remember things like this forever and she only hoped he or someone else would think to call or send her an email when they did.
"He's really kicking her ass huh?" Frankie spoke breaking Maura's train of thought.
She looked up at him and moved to make room for them on the long bench. "He's usually so calm with me." She mused before turning to watch Jane and TJ climbing a child size bat tower together. The detective's long legs hung off the side of it goofily once they reached the top. "I wonder."
TJ nodded cutely. "Well…Mommy said dat Daddy was doing better."
Jane nodded from their spot on top of the bat tower. One, she needed a freaking break, and two, she just wanted to check in with the little guy away from everyone so that he didn't feel pressured to tell her what she wanted to hear.
"He is, he's doing so good." Jane nodded.
TJ played with the hem of his shirt. "How come he doesn't live with us den?"
Jane sighed and put an arm around his little shoulders. "Um well Bud, that's not really an easy answer."
"Aunty Maura has all da answers."
Jane chuckled and nodded. "Yeah I know. It's a little annoying."
"Nooo."
"Well you don't work with her."
He giggled. "I wanna work with Aunty Maura, we'd read, and look at animals and she'd know all of 'em! We could come here every day right? You think she'd take me?" He nodded. "I can't dwive yet."
Jane smiled at him. "I think she would like that a lot actually."
They sat there quietly for a few moments.
"Aunty Jane?"
"Yeah?"
"Dis the best day ever."
Jane's heart melted and her eyes salted with a sharpness she knew meant if she weren't careful she'd tear up. Instead Jane chuckled softly. "You know what I think so too TJ. I like having you guys around me. Family time y'know?"
"When all duh bad guys are gone Aunty Jane you gon' come with us." He nodded surely.
Jane looked down at him sadly at that. She pulled it in tight and replaced it with a smile before putting him on the back. "Sounds good to me."
When they finally climbed down from the bat tower TJ bolted for Frankie as his next victim and Jane walked slowly over to the bench and sat beside Maura and Nina who were talking among themselves.
"What is it?" Maura asked a few minutes later when she noticed something different about Jane's quietness. Nina had gotten up to take a picture of Frankie and TJ giving them a brief moment of privacy,
The detective only smiled. "Just thinkin'."
Maura's look was full of tenderness. "Okay." She tilted her head and Jane brushed her off.
"Stop it."
Maura laughed. "I haven't done anything, Jane."
Jane pushed her shoulder tiredly. "You're lookin' at me like you wanna know what I'm thinking."
Maura only smiled. "Is that a crime?"
"In thirty seven states it is."
Maura's smile remained. "In Massachusetts?"
"Capital offense."
"What about New York?"
Jane smiled a little at her. "Eh, the courts aren't very clear."
"Interesting." She tilted her head. "I suppose I'll have to wait."
"Where are we staying anyway?"
"Oh Jane its lovely. It's a new hotel from this French hotel group, simply exquisite. Le Modern, it is near the Museum of Modern Art and not far from Rockefeller Center where we'll get bread in the mornings."
"What if I don't want bread in the mornings?" She was wearing a soft grin. Seeing Maura excited made her realize just how much she was excited too. California had been so much fun though she doubted they'd rent a convertible this time.
"Oh you have no choice."
"Ah."
Just then TJ came back running over to them with Frankie not far behind laughing. The youngest Rizzoli crashed into Maura's knees and began to laugh at the pleasant surprise on the medical examiner's face. "Well hello." She greeted cordially.
"Aunty Maura can we go see Bass now!?"
Maura smiled at his dark Rizzoli eyes and nodded. "Yes, let's." She checked her watch as she stood. "It's almost his bed time." TJ grabbed hold of her hand and looked up at her. "It isn't far." Maura looked over at Jane who nodded.
"Turtles have bed times? How? He's so big!" They began to walk still couldn't believe his aunt had once had him as a pet. It was the coolest thing to him. Bass always seemed to recognize her too, one day they'd be friends.
"Tortoises do."
TJ put his free hand to his lip as he tried to process. "What's the difference?"
"Well it's quite fascinating really—"
Frankie watched them walk away and looked back at Jane with his arms crossed to his chest. "So what? He puts us through the ringer and she gets him all calm? That's not fair."
Nina chuckled and touched his shoulder. "I think TJ knows what he can get away with and who he can get away with it with. You two are push overs."
"Hey I'm not the one who bought him candy…" Frankie nodded at Nina. "You couldn't help yourself."
"He's just so cute! How do you expect me to restrain myself exactly?"
Jane looked away from watching Maura and TJ leave to her brother and future sister in law. "Wait you bought him candy too?" She sat up. "I bought him candy when Maura wasn't looking."
Nina laughed. "So we're all guilty. What'd you tell him?"
Jane shrugged. "I told him that he could tell her in a bajillion seconds, he started counting but I think he forgot."
Nina pointed to herself. "I just told him that it was our secret."
Frankie shook his head. "Real nice you two."
Jane grinned. "He's gonna grow up with a complex."
"Or diabetes." Nina deadpanned. The three of them laughed before the moment simmered out. "He seems happier." She looked at the two siblings. "From at the hospital."
Jane nodded. "Poor kid, he's aces smart, don't really know who he got that from, he knows something isn't really right."
Frankie sat down at the edge of the bench and relaxed. "Yeah, all we could do is be there y'know?" He looked at his older sister. "He say anything to you?"
Jane nodded. "He just had questions." She leaned back on the bench and sighed. When all the bad guys were gone she'd make time to answer them.