The hit wasn't that bad, or dirty, it was more the way she fell down to the ice. The skates lost contact with the ice and Jane fell flat on her back. Maura couldn't tell when the red helmet came off, but as it was spinning around on the ice, the number 29 blurred, she unknowingly held her breath. She expected to see Jane jump back up and continue the game, she needed her to jump back up, but the seconds ticked by and no jumping whatsoever.

"DOC!"

Maura was already on the ice when one of the girls near Jane yelled. She stumbled, tried to move as quickly as possible but she could never get used to the slippery surface. Nicole hurried over to Maura to help her, and Maura estimated they saved a few seconds. As she approached Jane, she kneeled down and found a gasping Jane looking up at her. The dark eyes were desperately trying to convey something. Jane moved her hand to her chest, tugging at her jersey.

Maura connected the dots quickly. "You can't breathe! Okay, it's okay." She put one hand on Jane's shoulder while maintaining eye contact. "Breathe through your mouth" she ordered and her right hand settled on Jane's stomach, but all the layers of jersey and gear was in her way. She dug through them until her hand met warm and sweaty skin. "Jane. Breathe with your stomach. Press against my hand while you breathe. Slow, steady breaths."

Jane tried to do as told and struggled through the first breaths.

"That's good. Keep breathing. Let your stomach press the air out." Maura let her own shoulders lower as she felt Jane's breathing going back to a somewhat normal rhythm. It was not until then she was aware of the people hovering over them, on all sides, and she noticed the silence in the arena. The referees had stopped the game and it probably looked worse than it was from the audience's point of view.

Maura ignored them all and looked back down at Jane. "Jane, look at me. Are you okay now? Are you hurt?" She only got a blank stare back. "Jane, focus! Can I move you? Is your neck hurt in any way?"

Jane answered by slowly raising her head before it dropped back down and she closed her eyes.

"Okay, good. I'm gonna move you to the locker room." Maura stood up and looked at the girls surrounding them. "Help me get her off the ice" she ordered.

They immediately obeyed and helped Jane up on her feet. Maura noticed how Jane flinched and lifted her left leg from the ice. Something was obviously wrong with it.

All the players tapped their stick on the ice, and the audience clapped as Jane was helped off. It was a gesture that Maura never seemed to get used to. The respect, no matter which player, your own or the opponent, was shown in a nice way. As they reached the bench, some of the staff took over and got Jane to the locker room safely. They backed off when Maura kneeled in front of Jane.

"Tell me what's wrong, Jane." She didn't get an answer as Jane closed her eyes and seemed completely out of it. "Jane, look at me" Maura tried again and placed her hand on Jane's cheek. "Did you hit your head?"

Jane barely opened her eyes and swallowed. "I think so…"

"Are you dizzy? Do you feel like throwing up, falling down, anything?"

Jane shook her head slowly. "No, but my knee hurts."

"Your left leg, right?" Maura proceeded to roll down the sock after Jane confirmed. She realized she was nervous when she fumbled with the shin pad, but eventually got it loose. After a quick examination she stood up and looked at the assistant coach who was still standing by the door. "I need to take her to the hospital to get x-ray and rule out a concussion, can you get me an ambulance?"

He simply nodded and stepped outside to make the call.

Maura turned back to Jane and they looked at each other. It was easy to read Jane's eyes and the deep sigh, and Maura needed to take a deep breath. "I know" she whispered. Jane closed her eyes and let her chin drop to her chest, obviously fighting some emotions. Maura looked down at Jane's skates and started to untie them. She wanted to say something comforting but knew it would be useless. She could already tell that the injured knee would put Jane on the sideline for at least a week, and there was really nothing comforting to say.


Maura thanked the doctor after receiving the results from the x-ray and slowly entered the room where Jane was lying on the bed. She didn't acknowledge Maura's presence and stared up at the ceiling. "Good news, no concussion" Maura said and walked over to the bed. "Bad news is that you have injured your medial collateral ligament. Just a grade one, but you need a few weeks of rest."

Jane closed her eyes when she heard and exhaled loudly.

The silence made Maura nervous and she did the only thing she could think of; talk. "The MCL extends from the femur to the tibia on the inside of your knee. I believe you got a blow to the outside of the knee which caused the knee to move inwards and stretched the ligament. It's commonly known as a sprain. You don't need surgery but you have to ice it a few times daily and elevate it. You should also use an elastic wrap to limit the swelling."

"Stop talking."

Maura stopped. She stood silently by the bedside and waited, hoping Jane would say something more. She had worried so many times that a day like this would come. She never liked to see one of the girls injured, but seeing Jane hurt, and having to tell her she couldn't play for a while, was heartbreaking. Maura knew just how much the game meant to Jane.

"Can I go home?"

Jane's voice brought Maura back to reality. "Yes. You can. I called coach Landers to fill him in on the situation, and you should actually go home and rest. I will go find a chair and I'll help you back to the rink to collect your things." Maura turned around and headed towards the door.

"I'm not getting in a wheel chair!" Jane whined.

She should've known. Maura stopped and turned around, slightly amused by the five-year-old tantrum. "Fine. If you want to walk, then be my guest."

Jane sat up and was about to put her feet on the floor.

"But any misstep right now could mean you will be out longer than expected. And it will hurt." Maura smiled when she saw the halt in Jane's movements and dark eyes looked up at her. She turned around and opened the door. "I'll get you that chair now." The frustrated growl was easy to hear behind her.


They returned back to the rink and Maura made sure to help Jane into the locker room before she went to get a pair of crutches. The game had ended a long time ago, and only Heather and Nicole were left, waiting for Jane. Maura watched from the door as Jane sat down on her spot and informed her two team mates about the injury. After a minute, coach Landers showed up and stopped next to Maura.

"I guess she didn't take it well" he said with a slight smile.

Maura smiled as well. "She was actually very quiet about it all. Not what I had expected." Her eyes kept watching the trio. "Although I needed to convince her about the wheel chair from her room to the cab."

Coach Landers chuckled and nodded. "Why am I not surprised….?" He cleared his throat. "Hey Rizzoli!" All three girls turned their eyes to him. "Make sure you listen to your doctor and you'll be back in no time, okay? Cause we need you out there asap."

Jane caught Maura's eyes for a second before she nodded and looked back at him. "Sure thing, coach."

He patted Maura on the back and looked at her. "I'm sure you know how to deal with Rizzoli's temper, but if she gives you any trouble, just let me know."

Maura nodded before he walked away. It was true, she had some tricks up her sleeve when it came to Jane and her stubbornness and impatience. Especially when Jane was injured. Maura knew there was nothing else Jane wanted more than to get back to action, and that seemed like the perfect bait to get Jane to follow instructions.

Heather and Nicole suddenly got up and they both patted Jane on the shoulder. They walked past Maura who was pulled out from her own thoughts. She was alone with Jane before she realized the girls had left because Jane was ready to change and hit the showers. She looked at Jane who pulled the t-shirt over her head, revealing the well-defined abdominal muscles that Maura could still feel against her fingers. She tore her gaze up when she felt Jane's eyes on her. Maura quickly swallowed. "You should ice the knee when you get home. And keep it elevated as much as possible, okay? You could also use an elastic wrap to prevent swelling." She didn't wait for an answer and was about to turn around when she stopped and looked back at Jane. "Oh, and come see me tomorrow. Preferably before noon. And use the crutches." This time she waited until Jane nodded before she turned around and walked away.


Maura started her mornings the same way every day. She usually woke up before her alarm, took a shower, and got dressed before she had breakfast and a cup of coffee. She read the paper and cleaned up after herself. At the front door, she stopped to take a look at herself in the mirror, straightening her jacket before she grabbed her keys and purse and left her house.

Her thoughts had been filled with Jane since the injury happened, most of them sad on Jane's behalf. But that morning she found herself looking up for every door that opened after arriving at the rink, she looked over her shoulder for every sound, just in case it was Jane. She couldn't relax until she closed the door to her office and sat down with paperwork.

Just before 11, the knock on her door finally came. "Come in." She looked up as Jane entered, actually using the crutches, and closing the door. Maura put down the folder in her hands before she was struck by a sense of déjà vu. She was standing next to her desk, papers in her hands and the sight of Jane walking through her door sent her right back to that day when Jane had first kissed her. She could almost feel the push of Jane's body against hers, and she had to breathe out slowly to focus. "Good morning, Jane. How is your knee today?" She hoped Jane didn't notice that tiny shake to her voice.

"It's fine… I guess." Jane limped over to the examination bench and sat down. "I iced it like you said. And kept it high."

"Good. Any pain?" Maura casually wiped her hands on her skirt before she moved over to the bench.

"Nothing I can't handle." Jane put her hands behind her on the bench and leaned back.

Maura raised an eyebrow at the cocky comment and it caused Jane to snicker.

"Okay, it was a bit painful last night. Not so much today. Just sore."

"Good. Let's take a look then." Maura looked down at the knee, the blue sweatpants being in the way. She suddenly became nervous about asking Jane to take off the pants and she struggled to even get out a word. Luckily Jane solved the problem by rolling up the leg, and Maura imagined herself shaking her head and laughing.

"I figured sweatpants were the better option today" Jane said coyly as her bandaged knee was visible for Maura's inspection.

Maura smiled as she unwrapped the bandage and started inspecting the knee. "The swelling isn't bad" Maura mumbled, mostly to herself, as the knee was bare. She carefully touched the knee, pressing at specific points and noted whenever Jane flinched in pain. "I want you to keep icing it today, especially when you come home and have been walking a lot."

"Okay, I'll do that" Jane nodded.

Maura went over to her desk and sat down. "I am going to give you some exercises that I want you to do at least once a day." She started typing on her computer, finding the specific files she was looking for. "But you need to wait until the swelling is completely gone before you start." She printed out a few pages and grabbed them from the printer on her way back to Jane. "Take a look at them today and we'll go through them tomorrow, if the swelling is gone."

Jane accepted the papers while Maura reached for the bandage and started wrapping it around the knee.

"How are you holding up?" Maura asked.

"I don't know…" Jane shrugged. "Everything just sucks."

Maura looked up without lifting her head and saw Jane's eyes clearly supporting the words. "I know this is difficult, especially for you." She turned her focus back on the knee and her own hands. Jane was silent and looked away, like she didn't want to talk. Maura wasn't surprised, she almost expected total silence before she even asked the question. So instead of pushing Jane to talk, she finished her job on the knee and smiled as she stood up. "That's it. Same time tomorrow?"

Jane nodded as she rolled down her pants and carefully stood up. "Thanks, doc." She grabbed the papers and carefully folded them before she put them in her pocket.

"No problem" Maura mumbled as Jane left the room.


After she had typed in the notes about Jane's knee, Maura checked the time and saw she had still another twenty minutes until her next appointment. She decided to go watch the practice she knew was going on out on the ice. As she reached the end of the tunnel, she spotted Jane on the benches, intensely following the plays on the ice. Maura didn't say anything, but stayed in the background, watching both Jane and the team.

After a few minutes, the girls took a short break, and Heather and Nicole both made their way over to Jane.

"Skipping practice I see…" Heather teased and shook her head in discontent.

Jane smirked back. "The star deserves a break now and then."

Nicole and Heather laughed, and Maura couldn't hide her own smile. At least joking about it was better than sulking.

"And it's actually kinda interesting to watch you guys from the sideline" Jane continued while Nicole reached for her water bottle.

"Oh? How come?" Heather asked.

"Well, it's easier to see what you do wrong…"

Maura assumed Jane didn't mean to sound so… cocky, that it just came out that way, but still she laughed silently in her corner.

Nicole leaned against the board while she took off her helmet. "Like you never do something wrong…" she mumbled under her breath and faked innocence when Jane gave her a daring look. She finally smiled and sighed. "Okay, fine… I suck today, so tell me all the things I do wrong. I'm sure I'm aware of half of them."

"You don't suck" Heather assured her.

Jane shook her head. "No, you don't suck. But I do have a few tips for you."

Maura focused more on watching than listening when Jane started explaining, using words and language that was like Chinese to Maura. She liked to see this side of Jane. Even though Jane wasn't exactly a veteran in this game, she had taken Nicole under her wing and sometimes seemed like a mentor. It was one of the things that had surprised Maura when she returned. She had not been prepared to see a grown up Jane, and she had thoroughly enjoyed watching the first few games and how Jane was always looking out for Nicole. If someone was a bit too rough with Nicole, Jane stepped up and figuratively flexed muscles. It wouldn't surprise Maura if Jane ended up in a fight because of it before the season was over.


Her apartment was dark except for the light in the hall outside the bedroom. Jane sat on her couch and stared at a single candle burning in the window, casting shadows all around her. There was a steady beat coming from one of her neighbors who were obviously having a party that Saturday night. Not that she really cared, she barely heard it over her own thoughts anyway. When her phone rang, she didn't want to answer it and barely threw a glance at it. It was none of her contacts, just a number across the screen. She only picked it up after staring at the last two digits, unable to remember why it seemed so familiar. "Yeah?"

"Hi, it's Maura."

Jane smiled and closed her eyes for a moment. That's why it was so familiar. "Hey."

"How are you doing? Did you do the exercises today?"

"Yes, ma'am" Jane answered, not surprised or annoyed by the question. "And I'm doing okay I guess." She looked at the glass on her table, the brown liquid almost gone.

"I'm glad to hear that. Did you watch the game?"

Jane scoffed. "Yeah, that was brutal! Kinda makes me glad I'm back home and not over there right now…" The team had just finished game two out of three on the road, and Jane had watched the girls lose 2-6 against Michigan.

"Yes, you should be. It is not a happy group of girls right now."

"Let me guess, they are either in their rooms or in the bar?"

"Almost" Maura chuckled. "I didn't see anyone in the bar as I passed by. Just Aaron."

Jane reached over to the bottle of scotch and refilled her glass. "So where are you then, if not in the bar? I thought I heard music in the background." Jane rolled her eyes when she heard her own words before grabbing the glass and leaning back.

"You heard right. It's the radio. I am currently in my room, sitting in a chair by the window and having a drink while I'm looking over to Canada."

"Right, you're in Detroit. How does Canada look?"

"About the same as the US. Dark…"

Jane sipped on her drink while she watched the candle in her window. She didn't know what to say to Maura and silenced. They had never talked on the phone before, at least not with Maura in another part of the country.

"There's a reason why I called you tonight, Jane. I know what day it is."

She wasn't exactly surprised that Maura knew and remembered. Jane had dreaded this day for a long time, like she did every time. That last day of February that once in a while peeked out from its hiding place. The 29th. Jane's number. Leap day.

"What are you doing tonight?"

Jane swirled the scotch around in the glass and sighed. "Nothing much. Sitting in the dark, having a scotch. And realizing I probably shouldn't tell my doctor that I'm drinking since I'm injured, but I'm not on pain killers so it should be okay, right?"

"It's fine, Jane" Maura answered and sounded like she was smiling. "You are allowed to drink tonight. Isn't it an Irish tradition to honor the deceased with a drink?"

"Yeah, it is." Jane swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to go on. "He wasn't Irish, but I figured he wouldn't mind. We're in Boston after all."

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Have you talked to his mother recently?"

Jane was perfectly aware that if it had been anyone else, she would've snapped, hung up, yelled at them that she didn't want to talk about it. She knew she didn't do any of those things because it was Maura asking. "No. I got a letter from her when I signed with the team. She wanted to congratulate me on the contract with Devils, and said she had moved back to Minnesota a few years ago. Boston wasn't for her. I guess this city is just full of bad memories for her anyway."

"I can't even imagine the pain she must've felt. Was he her only child?"

"Yeah" Jane nodded. She sipped on her drink while her eyes were still focused on the candle, wishing the day was over. If she hadn't been injured, she would've spent the day occupied with the game and preparations, instead she had had all the time in the world to think.

"Jane?"

The voice made her realize none of them had said anything for a while.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, if you want to talk about something else instead."

"Okay" Jane mumbled and breathed in slowly. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Of course."

Jane could hear from the change of tone that Maura was smiling on the other end.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I'm not sure…" Her thoughts were working furiously to come up with something. Maura could've easily ended the call, but chose instead to give Jane a chance to keep it going. "Tell me something about yourself that I don't know, like… why a doctor?"

"Oh… Alright, but I need a second drink first…"

Jane chuckled for the first time in many hours. "Is it my turn to say you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to?" She heard a few scratching noises before it went back to normal.

"Sorry, I almost dropped you on the floor. No, it's okay, I don't mind talking about it. Being a doctor wasn't my first choice actually, but seeing as how my father is a doctor, and his father was a doctor…."

"It runs in the family" Jane finished. She heard the clink of an ice cube against the doctor's glass in the background.

"Yes, and I do like being a doctor. I have always wanted to help people."

"So what was your first choice if it wasn't a doctor?"

"I wanted to be a professional figure skater."

Jane couldn't stop the tiny laughter that escaped. "What? Really?"

"Yes, I started as a little girl and it eventually became my passion, just like hockey is your passion. It wasn't very popular with my parents when I told them I didn't want to go to medical school."

"Wow…" Jane curled up in the corner and stretched out her legs on the couch. "I never would've guessed you as a figure skater."

"Don't let my awkwardness on the ice fool you, Jane, I am much better with skates than on my feet."

Jane once again laughed from the teasing tone in Maura's voice. "I'm not sure I can believe that until I see it someday."

"You want to see me on skates?"

"Yeah, of course. You work literally right next to a perfect ice all the time, and I wanna know if you're as good as it sounds."

Maura laughed. "Alright, I suppose that can be arranged. Maybe I will join you on the ice when your knee is good enough again."

Jane grinned for herself on the couch. "Deal! I'll make sure to hold you to it too."

"I am sure you will."

"So how did you end up working for the team?"

"A bit by accident actually. The previous team doctor was an acquaintance of my father, and I heard them talk about it when he had resigned. I gave Chris a call and I ended up being offered the position. My father wasn't too happy about it, and I think that was part of the reason why I accepted."

"Why wasn't he happy about it?" Jane asked.

"My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps which meant a job at the hospital, but I didn't want that. The idea of working with a team seemed much more enjoyable for me, and I liked that it was a women's team. You are all so passionate and focused on the sport, you want to go as far as you can and I like that I can help you with that. Even if it's just treating cuts and broken bones."

"So the ice had nothing to do with it?" Jane teased.

Maura giggled. "I'll admit it was satisfying to tell my father I was going to work at a hockey rink. I was hoping it was reminding him of my short career on skates, and I think it did."

Jane laughed while she leaned her head against the back of the couch. "I had no idea you were such a rebel."

"Oh, I'm hardly a rebel, Jane. I am much too worried about other people's thoughts and opinions…"

"Yes, you are a rebel" Jane argued. "In your cute little way, and I think the whole team is happy about that. I mean…" She took a deep breath to calm herself down after she realized she had actually used the word 'cute'. "They all like you, and it's comforting to have a woman around. It's…" Jane closed her eyes and chuckled. "I don't think I know what I'm trying to say. I just know that I wouldn't have told you the story about Denver and Sarah if you had been a guy."

"I think I understand what you are trying to say. Thank you. I'm glad you didn't regret telling me. I hope."

Jane smiled for herself and looked up into the ceiling. "No… I don't regret it. It was actually a relief to have you there during those games. Someone knew about it and that helped... strange as it may sound."

"It doesn't sound strange to me. Are we playing them again this season?"

"No. Thank God. I don't think I could get through another one of those right now." Jane noticed how Maura used the word 'we' and how comfortable the doctor sounded with it.

"That game before Christmas…" The doctor's voice was anything but comfortable as she spoke again. "What… made you fight her?"

Jane swallowed, her eyes settled on the glass in her hand. She completely choked up. "I…" How was she supposed to explain the fight? Maura had heard only part of all that was said during that game, and even that was more than enough. "She just… kept pushing me, and she was way out of line when she approached you." Jane took a slow sip of her drink, let the strong taste of the scotch simmer for a bit before she swallowed.

"What did she say that pushed you over the edge? It seemed like you just lost control."

It amazed her that Maura could bring up that particular game like nothing had ever happened between them. Jane had buried the game deep in her memories as soon as it was over, but Sarah's words were still crystal clear if she allowed them to surface.

"I hope she fucks you over so you know how it feels."

"I… I can't" Jane croaked. She felt like throwing her phone out of the window, or smashing it against the wall, anything to remove Maura's voice from her ear. She heard her own breath shaking as she breathed in, tears pressing to break free.

"It's okay, Jane. It's okay" Maura rushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I was just curious. I tend to dig too deep when I'm curious. You don't have to tell me."

At least it made Jane breathe normally again, but she still wanted to end the call. Apparently the past was still too fragile to even think about. No one said anything, and all Jane could hear for a while was the muffled songs on the radio in Maura's room. Eventually, Maura cleared her throat.

"How is your knee? Any pain when you do the exercises?"

"Not really…" Jane mumbled.

"According to normal recovery, you might be back on the ice by the end of next week."

That made Jane cheer up a little bit. "Really?"

"Well, I can't say for certain yet, but it's a possibility. It will just be a short time, and not with the team."

"I'll take it" Jane smiled. "I'm slowly going insane here…"

"Slowly?" Maura asked with a teasing tone.

Jane laughed softly. "No… figure of speech" she explained.

"That's what I thought. We can discuss it on Tuesday. I'll tell James to stop by as well."

"Great." Jane paused before she sighed. She wanted to end the call in a good way. "Thanks for calling me, doc. It helped…"

"You're welcome, Jane. As I said, I wanted to hear how you were doing."

Jane nodded for herself and even though the call had been a roller coaster, she felt better than she had expected. "I'm doing much better now. Thanks again."

"Anytime, Jane."