"It begins with a breath,

a pause before the storm gathers."

The crime scene was bathed in the eerie glow of streetlights and the flashing blue and red of squad cars. Jane parked a short distance away, her boots crunching against the gravel as she stepped out of the car and approached the cordoned-off alley. The air was sharp and cold, the kind of chill that seemed to seep into your bones. She could already see Maura kneeling by the body, her medical bag open beside her and her gloved hands carefully examining the scene.

"Maura," Jane called as she ducked under the crime scene tape. Her voice was low but carried an edge of urgency. She hated seeing Maura at scenes like this, though she knew the medical examiner was one of the best in the city.

Maura glanced up, her face calm but serious. "Jane," she greeted. "I'm almost finished with the preliminary assessment."

Jane took a moment to assess the scene herself. The victim's lifeless body lay sprawled on the damp concrete, her clothing torn and dirty. The signs of a struggle were obvious—scraped knuckles, bruises forming around her wrists. It was a brutal end, and Jane felt a familiar knot of anger form in her stomach.

"What do we have?" Jane asked, crouching beside Maura.

Maura's voice was steady, clinical, though there was a softness beneath it, a recognition of the humanity in the tragedy. "Leah McCallister. Cause of death appears to be blunt force trauma to the head. However, I won't be able to confirm until the autopsy. There are defensive wounds on her arms, indicating she fought back against her attacker."

Jane nodded, her eyes scanning Leah's face, trying to imagine what the woman's last moments had been like. "Anything else?"

"Yes," Maura said, her tone more pensive now. She gestured to a faint smudge on Leah's jacket. "This residue could be significant. It doesn't appear to match anything in this immediate environment. I'll need to analyze it further at the lab."

Jane's eyes narrowed as she followed Maura's line of sight. "Good catch. Could be from the perp."

Maura nodded, then shifted slightly to reveal something partially hidden beneath Leah's body. It was a worn, tattered backpack. "I found this next to her. It's light, but it could contain something important."

Jane reached for the bag, her movements careful. She opened it and found only a few items inside—a crumpled photo of a young child, a pack of tissues, and a small notebook. The sight of the child's photo made Jane's chest tighten. She held it up for Maura to see.

"Think this is her kid?" Jane asked, her voice quieter now.

"It's possible," Maura said, her brow furrowing slightly. "There's evidence suggesting Leah may have recently been caring for a child. There's a faint imprint on her arm, consistent with the size of a small hand."

Jane felt the knot in her stomach tighten further. "Then where's the kid?" she muttered, half to herself.

Maura glanced at her, her hazel eyes filled with concern. "Jane, if there's a child involved, they could still be out there. Alone."

Jane stood, her jaw tightening as she looked out at the shadowy edges of the alley. "Then we need to find them." She turned back to Maura. "You good here? I'm going to start canvassing the area."

"I'm fine," Maura assured her. "But be careful, Jane. Whoever did this is likely still out there."

Jane nodded, her determination etched in every line of her face. "I will. Let me know if you find anything else."

With that, she headed back toward the street, her mind already racing with questions.

Jane and Frost canvassed the surrounding area, knocking on doors and questioning anyone who might have seen or heard anything. After hours of effort, she only managed to find two witnesses who admitted to hearing a commotion in the alley. Both were vague and uncertain, unable to identify the victim or offer any meaningful leads. As the night stretched on, Jane's frustration began to mount.

She returned to the scene briefly, watching as Korsak continued his work. Korsak was meticulously photographing the area while other officers combed through debris for overlooked evidence. Jane crossed her arms, her gaze falling on the dark, empty spaces of the alley as if willing the answers to appear.

"Anything?" Jane asked, her tone clipped.

The officer glanced up, shaking his head. "Nothing solid yet. We're still going through everything. No sign of the kid either."

Jane sighed heavily, the knot of tension in her chest tightening further. "Keep at it. We're missing something—I can feel it."

Korsak looked up from his search. "We'll find it, Jane. You know how this goes. Sometimes it's a waiting game."

"Waiting isn't good enough," Jane muttered. Her jaw clenched as she glanced at the empty street beyond the alley. "That kid doesn't have time for us to wait."

Maura appeared at the edge of the scene, her presence calm but grounding. She approached Jane with a clipboard in hand. "Jane, I've sent the samples from the jacket to the lab. We should have preliminary results by morning. Perhaps you should consider taking a short break until then."

Jane shook her head. "I can't, Maura. Not until we find something. Someone knows what happened here, and I'm not stopping until I figure out who."

Maura's brow furrowed, her concern evident. "You're exhausting yourself. You won't be able to help anyone if you push too far."

"I'm fine," Jane snapped, though her body language betrayed her fatigue. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I just… I can't stop thinking about that kid, Maura. Alone out there, scared. We need to find them."

"We will," Maura said gently, placing a reassuring hand on Jane's arm. "But you need to trust the process. Frost and Korsak are doing their parts. Let me do mine. We'll get answers."

The harsh fluorescent lights of the morgue cast a stark glow over the lifeless body of a young woman on the slab. Jane stood to the side, arms crossed, her sharp eyes scanning the autopsy room while Maura adjusted her gloves with practiced precision. The silence between them was heavy, but not unusual—a shared understanding of the grim work before them.

"Cause of death is blunt force trauma to the head," Maura said, her voice calm but tinged with sorrow. "However, I'd estimate the victim had been deceased for at least twelve hours before she was found. There are defensive wounds on her arms, indicating a struggle."

Jane nodded, taking mental notes. The victim, identified as Leah McCallister, had been found in a back alley near a shelter notorious for housing the city's homeless population. Her file painted a picture of a woman who'd struggled with addiction but was trying to turn her life around.

"Anything else?" Jane asked, stepping closer.

"Yes," Maura said, glancing up. "There are signs of malnutrition and prolonged stress, consistent with living on the streets. But…" She hesitated, her brow furrowing slightly as she gestured to a faint bruise on the victim's abdomen. "This appears to be a child's handprint."

Jane blinked. "We couldn't find any signs of the kid during our canvass."

"I am confident BPD will find them," Maura said. "The size and shape match the hand of a small child, perhaps around two or three years old. There's also evidence that she'd recently been lactating, which suggests she may have been nursing not long ago."

Jane's stomach tightened. A child in the middle of this mess? That complicated things—and made the stakes a hell of a lot higher.

"We didn't find any sign of the kid at the scene," Jane said, her mind racing.

Maura nodded solemnly. "It's a distinct possibility. If the child was present during the attack, they may have fled, or…" She trailed off, the unspoken alternative hanging in the air.

Maura," Jane began, her tone laced with curiosity and a hint of concern. "Is there any chance Leah had a kid? Anything in her records?"

Maura glanced up, her brow furrowing slightly. "I checked her records thoroughly," she said, her voice calm and measured as always. "There's nothing to indicate she had a child. No birth certificates, no custody arrangements, nothing tied to her name."

Jane nodded slowly but didn't seem convinced. Maura continued, "But... you know how it is sometimes, especially with someone who's been on the streets. Records don't always tell the full story, right? For individuals experiencing homelessness, it can be particularly challenging to keep consistent records. Addresses change frequently, access to services is limited, and sometimes personal details, like having a child, might not make it into official documentation."

"OK, let's keep digging. I'll call Frost," Jane said, pulling out her phone. "We need to canvass the area again."

As she dialed, Maura turned back to the body, her movements meticulous as she documented every detail. Jane's voice was sharp and commanding as she gave instructions to Frost, her determination evident even over the phone. This wasn't just about solving a murder anymore—it was about finding a child who might be scared, alone, and in danger.

Minutes later, Jane hung up and turned back to Maura. "Frost and Korsak are already on it. They're checking shelters and hospitals to see if anyone's brought in a kid matching the description."

Maura nodded, but her expression remained pensive. "Jane, if the child is still out there, they may not trust authorities. Children in situations like this often have an inherent distrust of strangers, especially if they've been taught to hide."

"So we're looking for a scared kid who doesn't want to be found," Jane muttered. "Great." She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "We need to figure out who Leah was close to. Friends, family, anyone who might've known about her kid."

"Her belongings might provide some clues," Maura suggested. "Did she have anything with her when she was found?"

"Just a cell phone, some cash, and the things in the backpack," Jane said. "It's at the station. I'll go through it as soon as I get back up there."

Maura stepped closer, her hazel eyes meeting Jane's. "We'll find the child, Jane. We have to."

Jane held her gaze for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah," she said quietly. "We will."

As Jane left the morgue and made her way back upstairs, an intense sense of urgency weighed heavily on her. Every second felt critical, and she couldn't shake the haunting image of a young child, scared and vulnerable, wandering somewhere in the city, waiting to be found.

At her desk, Jane was surrounded by an array of crime scene photos, reports, and Leah McCallister's few belongings. The precinct had grown still, its usual hum of activity replaced by the occasional ringing phone or muffled voices from the night shift. Jane sipped her cold coffee, her mind spinning relentlessly as she tried to piece the case together. She felt the oppressive weight of failure, convinced that the key to the puzzle was eluding her.

The sharp sound of Maura's heels against the tiled floor broke the silence. Jane didn't look up as the medical examiner approached, her voice soft but insistent. "You're still here." Maura set her bag down on the desk, concern etched on her face.

"Yeah, well, someone has to find this kid," Jane replied, her tone clipped as she flipped through another report. The exhaustion in her voice was unmistakable.

Maura perched herself on the edge of the desk, her arms folded. "Jane, you've been working on this for hours. You're not going to be any good to anyone if you don't take a break. Go home, get some sleep, and start fresh in the morning."

Jane shook her head, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "I can't, Maura. What if the kid's out there right now, scared and freezing? I can't just go home and sleep knowing that."

"You've done everything you can for tonight," Maura said gently. "Frost and Korsak are already following up on leads. You're not in this alone."

"I know that," Jane snapped, though her anger wasn't directed at Maura. She leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. "I just feel like I'm missing something obvious, and it's driving me crazy."

Maura's voice took on a firm, measured tone. "If it's obvious, you'll see it more clearly after you've rested. Jane, please. You're only human."

Instead of responding, Jane grabbed her coat and stood abruptly. "I'm going back out there," she announced. "I need to canvass the area again."

Maura frowned and rose to her feet. "Jane, it's the middle of the night. The temperature has dropped significantly, and that neighborhood is dangerous. Besides, the area's already been searched thoroughly."

"I need to go back," Jane retorted, already heading toward the door.

"This is reckless," Maura said firmly, trailing after her. "At least let someone accompany you."

Jane stopped at the door, her hand on the handle. "Everyone's already got their assignments. I'll be fine."

"Then I'm coming with you," Maura declared, her tone leaving no room for debate.

Jane turned to argue, but the determined look in Maura's eyes silenced her. She let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. But stay close, and if it gets dangerous, you're heading straight back to the car."

"Agreed," Maura replied, grabbing her coat.

After hours of searching, the cold and exhaustion finally began to wear Jane down. Their efforts had yielded no new leads, and the frustration weighed heavily on her. As they returned to the car, Maura placed a hand on Jane's arm, her voice gentle but resolute.

"Jane, it's time to call it a night," Maura said. "You've done all you can for now. Pushing yourself further won't help the case or the child."

Jane exhaled, her breath visible in the frigid air. "I can't just stop, Maura. Not until we've found something."

"You can, and you should," Maura countered. "Come back to my house. Rest for a few hours, and we'll start again together in the morning."

Jane hesitated, her stubbornness warring with her exhaustion, and the cold was starting to set in her bones. Finally, she relented. "Fine," she muttered. "But only because I know you won't stop nagging me if I don't."

Maura allowed herself a small smile. "Exactly."

When they arrived at Maura's house, she unlocked the door and turned to Jane. "Are you hungry? I could make something quick."

Jane shook her head, too tired to even entertain the thought. "Just need to crash," she mumbled.

Maura frowned slightly. "The guest room is ready… oh, wait," she said, a touch of embarrassment coloring her voice. "I forgot that the new mattress won't be delivered for another few days. I okayed the longer delivery window. I am sorry, Jane."

Jane waved her hand dismissively. "I don't care, Maura. You ordered a new mattress for me in the guest room? I'd sleep on the floor at this point."

"Well, you should replace mattresses every so often with the amount of dead skin that is collected, and you usually need the best rest you can get when you stay with me. You will absolutely not sleep on the floor," Maura said firmly.

Jane groaned. "Maura, seriously, I'll just crash on the sofa. It's fine."

"Nonsense," Maura said, her voice leaving no room for argument. "You'll sleep in my bed. It's already made and far more comfortable than the sofa. It's big enough for both of us."

"I can just crash on the couch, Maura," Jane said, her voice gruff, though there was a tinge of gratitude behind it. "I've slept on worse. This whole no-mattress thing in the guest room isn't a big deal."

"Jane, the couch is far less comfortable than my bed, and I refuse to let you wake up with back pain and complain about it for the next week." She crossed her arms, her tone matter-of-fact. "You're sleeping in the bed. End of discussion."

Jane hesitated, clearly torn. Finally, she gave in. "Alright, fine. But only because I'm too tired to argue with you."

Maura smiled warmly. "Come on, let's get you settled."

As they climbed the stairs, Jane's heavy steps mirrored her exhaustion. The soft lighting in Maura's bedroom and the faint scent of lavender were immediately calming. Jane kicked off her boots and sat on the edge of the bed, letting out a long sigh.

"Do you need anything?" Maura asked from the doorway. "Water? An extra blanket?"

Jane shook her head, already sinking back against the pillows. "Just turn off the light. Thanks, Maura."

Maura frowned, her sharp eyes scanning Jane. "Absolutely not. That's hardly clothes appropriate for sleeping. Besides, it's not comfortable." Without waiting for further argument, Maura disappeared into her walk-in closet and emerged moments later holding a neatly folded pair of gray shorts and a faded t-shirt.

Jane squinted at the clothes. "Wait a second. Are those mine?"

Maura gave a faint smile, smoothing the fabric out as she approached. "Yes, they are. You left them here some time ago, though I imagine you've forgotten. I thought they might be more suitable for tonight."

Jane took the clothes, her fingers brushing the soft fabric. "Why do you even still have these?" she asked, though her tone was more curious than accusatory.

Maura raised a brow, her expression calm. "I assumed you'd eventually stay over again and might need them. I like to be prepared."

Maura then headed to the bathroom for an abbreviated version of her nighttime routine. Jane immediately dropped her clothes, leaving them pooled on the floor before sliding into the shorts and t-shirt and slipping into bed.

Jane sank onto the edge of Maura's bed, the plush mattress cradling her like a cloud. She stretched out cautiously, as though testing its limits, then exhaled a long, contented sigh as her body melted into the softness. The mattress conformed perfectly to every curve and angle, easing tension she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"This thing is unreal," she muttered under her breath, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment. The faint scent of lavender from Maura's sheets drifted up, calming her further.

As Jane adjusted to the luxurious comfort, she let her mind wander. She remembered the last time she'd slept in this bed—a rare night where they'd both been too exhausted to drive back to their respective homes after a late case. She'd woken up then, rested and almost unnervingly comfortable, and Maura had teased her mercilessly about her newfound attachment to the mattress.

Now, alone in the quiet, Jane finally understood why. It wasn't just the mattress itself—though, sure, it was probably some high-end brand Maura could pronounce but Jane couldn't—it was the way it made her feel safe, cocooned, and oddly cared for. It was the kind of luxury she never let herself have, but Maura had a way of giving it to her without making her feel guilty about it.

With a small, sleepy smile, Jane pulled the covers up to her shoulders and let the softness swallow her whole. "Yeah," she murmured to herself, her voice low and drowsy. "This is definitely why I love crashing here." Soon Jane was drifting into sleep.

Maura emerged from the bathroom in her silk pajamas and turned off the light and slipped into the bed beside Jane. The quiet of the room was enveloping, and as Jane's breathing steadied, Maura lay awake, her mind racing.

Maura couldn't stop herself from thinking about Jane. The way they worked together, the small gestures and unspoken understanding they shared—it was unlike any other friendship she'd ever had. These weren't the thoughts she should have about a best friend, but she couldn't deny them. Jane's presence filled the room, her warmth and proximity stirring feelings Maura had been trying to suppress.

She thought of the little touches, the moments that lingered just a beat too long. The way Jane always seemed to know what Maura needed before she said it. They shared an intimacy that went beyond mere friendship, and Maura wondered if Jane felt it too. Was she imagining it, or was there something more between them?

Maura sighed softly, her eyes drifting to Jane's peaceful face. Jane had fallen asleep almost immediately, her exhaustion finally overtaking her. Maura couldn't help but smile, a small, private moment of tenderness.

As her own eyes began to close, Maura realized how much better she slept when Jane was near. And tonight, with Jane beside her in bed, Maura felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and safety.