Series title: Whumptober 2023

Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Maura Isles / Jane Rizzoli

Trigger warnings: Domestic violence, blood, bruises, stitches, dislocated bones

A/N: The characters and universe don't belong to me. All rights go to TNT, and everyone involved in the production of Rizzoli and Isles, as well as Tess Gerritsen. Everything else belongs to my twisted imagination.

A/N2: Second part of "I see the danger, it's written there in your eyes."

Jane hissed at Maura's touch on her bruised skin. She was refusing to go to the hospital, too afraid that he might find her and hurt her more. Or worse, that he might hurt Maura. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Maura because of her. If he could hurt her that badly while pretending to love her, why would he do to someone he didn't like or trusted? She didn't want to find out the answer. He wouldn't dare going after her family as it wasn't toward them that she had crawled back. He had always seen Maura (and consequently their friendship) as a threat. Her whole attention had to be on him. He had forced her to cut ties with everyone and had taken her far away from Boston where he had kept her locked in their house and hidden from everyone. She would only come out when he decided, and only when he needed to show off before his colleagues.

Maura apologised, bringing Jane back to the present moment. She was relieved and grateful that her friend (if they were still friends after all that time) hadn't rejected her. She shouldn't have doubted her. It wasn't like Maura to be mean to anyone. After all, she had donated a kidney to her half-sister who hated her back then. She just wanted to help. That woman was the kindest Jane had ever met in her life, and she was proving it yet again by accepting to take her in, by giving her the time to adjust to her surroundings, by not forcing her to anything. Maura was exactly the same, except she looked sadder. She had lost that spark in her eyes. The guilt tore her apart. If Maura was like that now, it was because she had been abandoned. She had left her behind without an explanation, and she was back, but she wasn't saying a word.

Jane couldn't help but reach out to pick the silent tears on Maura's face with a shaking hand. She had known it would be a bad idea, but Maura had insisted to run a bath for her and to check on her. She hadn't refused because Maura was a doctor and she refused to go to the hospital. If she went there, he would find her and drag her back to the house where he would punish her for running away. She couldn't go back. She couldn't handle any of it anymore. She had had to make a choice to protect her baby, and the best decision was to leave. She had nothing but the nightgown on her back, the baby in her belly and the ring on her finger. She should have left it behind but couldn't take it off. Her fingers were too swollen. She had broken fingers and would need X-rays and special cares that Maura couldn't give her there. But she was too scared to go in public places.

Jane clenched her teeth and slowly removed the nightgown covering her body. Maura gasped. The former detective lowered her head, her face hidden behind a curtain of tangled dark curls, as the medical examiner took in the damages. She could now tell that Jane was putting her brave face on.

"Oh, Jane."

Jane could hear the unrestrained sob in her friend's voice. She wrapped her arms around her belly, attempted to curl up on herself to protect her baby. Maura's eyes were drawn to the blood-soaked bandage clumsily taped around her left arm. Her voice was soft when she asked if she could touch her. Her hands were soft as they slowly removed the bandage to reveal the long and deep gash in the tender flesh of her arm.

"I'm gonna have to stitch it up, alright?"

Jane didn't move from her uncomfortable seat when Maura left the bathroom to get her bag from the living-room. She didn't look up when she came back. She didn't make a sound when her gloved hands cleaned the wound and stitched it back up. She did a tight bandage that she would change in the evening if Jane was staying (where else would she go?).

"Can I see your hands, please?"

The question surprised her. It shouldn't. Maura was a well-educated woman with excellent manners. Some would say she was uptight, but she was nothing like that. Jane had gone after people who were mocking her in the past. Now they would laugh at her.

She hesitated a moment. Showing her hands meant letting go of her baby and making it vulnerable. Maura waited patiently. She didn't put any pressure on her. Jane appreciated it. He was never asking for anything. He was just taking and taking and taking until she had nothing left to give. How could she have been so blind and leave everything behind for him?

She held out trembling hands to her friend. Maura focused on the hand with the warped fingers. She palpated the swollen area. Jane didn't say or show anything that would tell Maura how painful it was although she could feel her eyes searching for any kind of reaction.

"They're dislocated. I can put them back in place but it's gonna be painful."

Jane shrugged. Pain was a constant companion of hers at that point. She could handle a little more, and it was Maura. It would hurt less than having it done by anyone else.

She bit the inside of her cheek so hard that she could taste blood. Her fingers were back to normal. Maura did a makeshift splint to keep them still until they recovered. She would redo it as many times as needed like the bandage on her arm.

The rest of her injuries didn't need a particular medical attention. Maura was about leave so Jane could soak in the warm bath in peace, but the former detective wouldn't let her go. She would have been mortified to let Maura see her naked a long time ago. Not today. Today she needed the presence of her friend by her side.

Maura helped her out of her underwear, keeping her eyes respectfully away from her most intimate parts, although she did notice dark bruises that left no doubt on what happened, and into the warm water. Jane relaxed some. The water was soothing her sore body. Maura helped her to wash her hair and sat on the toilet to give her some privacy while still being in the room.

Her almost injured hand found her belly and cupped it. Her thumb was brushing over the skin tenderly. She was silently communicating with her baby. After a moment, Maura showed her the stethoscope. Jane didn't get it at first until her friend told her to put it on her ears. Maura was moving the other end on her swollen stomach. And then, she heard it. The strong and steady heartbeats of her baby.

Her hand joined Maura's on her belly and squeezed it as a way to thank her for everything she was doing for her. Maura just nodded. Jane took the stethoscope off her ears and gave it back to the medical examiner who was about to put it away when she gestured for her to listen to the baby. She did as told, their hands intertwined over the growing human being. Tears instantly flowed on her cheeks.

Trusting Maura was easy. Jane knew that the woman would never hurt her. Not intentionally. She could have rejected her. She could have left her outside. She could have forced her to go to a hospital. Instead, she had let her in and had taken care of her. She had accepted her silence and her fears, had stayed with her and had reassured her. Maura Isles was a precious friend that Jane regretted every day to have abandoned to leave with a man that she had known wouldn't make her happy.

Now Jane was in the guest room that Maura had prepared for her to stay. She was curled up on her right side in the large bed. Her arms were wrapped around her middle to hug the little one. She was wearing one of her mother's pyjamas. She was exhausted, but she felt much better than she had in months...