Author's Note: Welcome to the next instalment of the Bay State BFFs series. This is a short introduction chapter, but the episode will get longer as the case becomes unravelled. Comments and faves extremely welcome... of course. Enjoy!

oxoxoxoxo

The heat of mid-summer teetered off a little and work was becoming somewhat easier for the people of Boston. Sometimes, Maura Isles was thankful that she lived in a state with a climate so unpredictable, the crisp sea breeze a welcome change to the previous week's humidity. Sweat patches weren't aesthetically pleasing at all, and she cursed her overactive sudoriferous glands for nearly causing her embarrassment. Luckily though, today the breeze wrapped around her like a nice cool shower. She took a brief look at her house, sighing dramatically before taking steps forward and approaching the front door.

Jane Rizzoli's head rushed up when she heard the door go, both she and Joe Friday looking at the lobby attentively. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the detective grinned when she heard Maura's feet clip-clopping along the laminate floor. Her grin soured suddenly when Maura smiled back. "What the hell is that?" She pointed to the hefty weight in Maura's hand.

"Her name," Maura stressed, "is Mia."

Jane rubbed her eyes for the second time and thought she was imagining things. When she opened her eyes again… Nope, still there. Maura looked down at the baby in her carrier, little blue eyes peering up at the brunette who jumped out of her seat.

"Maura… that's a baby."

"Yes," the medical examiner frowned, "it is. Are you phobic?"

Jane dashed to the other end of the kitchen, "Sure… they make me break out in hives," she joked. "What the fuck is a baby doing in the house?"

Maura was completely confused at the hostile attitude. She set the car seat down, along with the packed up baby bag and bent down to unclip Mia's seatbelt. "I don't appreciate your language around an infant, but if you wanted to know… It's a concept known as baby-sitting, Jane. Your mother was supposed to be looking after little Mia here for the weekend but she had to go to Bingo." She hefted the 6-month old up and settled her against her hip. The girl's head lay against the expanse of Maura's chest, peering at Jane with unsure eyes.

Jane's mouth dropped. "My mothe…. Oh she is a dead woman," the detective fumed and pulled out her phone.
Maura was about to say something but Jane darted a furious glance towards her, pointing a strong finger at her. The blonde knew what that meant. It meant 'You say one more thing and I'm deleting your shopping browsing history.' She kept quiet and hushed the small child who was starting to get a little upset at the tension in the house.

"Ma… what the hell?"

"Oh Janie!" Angela squealed, oblivious to the tone in her daughter's voice. "How are you feeling?"

"How am I feeling? I just got greeted to Maura here bringing home a baby. A baby, Mom!"

Angela sighed and looked in the mirror of her bedroom as she put an earring in. "I would have kept her with me, honey but I'm going out"

"Out? You never go out!" Jane said curtly. "And since when do you play Bingo?"

Angela thought on her feet, "Since I enjoyed the company," she sighed. "You wouldn't understand. It's hard living on your own." Jane looked at Maura and rolled her eyes, knowing the first thing Angela would do was play the guilt game. "Listen… I wouldn't have asked you both if I knew you'd be so angry."

"Ask us both…" Jane repeated foggily and looked at Maura who hid a shy smile. "You…"

"I thought it'd be okay," Maura laughed. "We had nothing planned for tonight, I'm fed up with you lying around the house moaning about not having a job to go to… this could be good for you."

"You see?" Angela listened closely to the interactions. "It's just one evening. She's the daughter of Jamie, you know? The single mother in my book club. She's at a business conference in New York for the weekend."

"Book club?" This was getting ridiculous. Jane suddenly remembered Frankie's concern for their mother's short-lived career as a 'Miracle Juice' sales woman and knew where he was coming from. "What book club?"

"Some of the girls from work… we have this thing," Angela said, frustration seeping through her voice. "Sweetie? I have to go, Maura has Jamie's number. Have fun, you two!" And the line went dead.

Jane stared at Maura and groaned, flopping back onto the couch. Feeling more brave, Maura joined her and sat Mia on her lap. The baby gurgled and snuggled up against the medical examiner's chest. "I can't believe you're doing this…"

"Jane, she was really stuck!"

"Bingo? Bingo doesn't mean stuck…" The detective whined. She turned her head to the baby who looked at her with curious, slightly fearing eyes. "Ohhh god, she's cute."

"Right?" Maura chuckled and handed her housemate a small rattle to give to the baby. Jane did so, somewhat hesitantly, then looked back to her friend.

"Sooo?"

"So what?" Maura was confused.

"How was work?" Jane asked.

"Fine… just paperwork. Quite boring if I'm honest." She smiled when she felt the detective curl around her. "And you? How are you feeling?"

"TV, same old same old… Boring," she smirked, plopping her head on the doctor's shoulder. Jane had been out of hospital for a week now, with two weeks off work to recuperate. After the close call with death involving a cyanide poisoning, Jane moved into Maura's house. The two women hadn't talked about the kisses in the hospital. Though their touches lasted longer, and they cuddled, something they'd never done before, but neither of them brought up their developing relationship.

"No nausea?" Maura asked. Jane shook her head proudly. "What did you eat?"

"Coco-puffs...crackers," Jane chuckled, letting the baby on Maura's lap play with her fingers. "This is so random. There is a baby in our house." She thought for a second. "Hey, what if we get a case?"

Maura stilled and dared to bring her eyes to the often explosive brunette. "You mean, if I get a case."

Jane groaned and covered her eyes. "Oh god… Maura!" She peeked through her fingers when Mia began to giggle. "I haven't babysat since I was 15."

"But you have, so it's fine. Jamie knows of our little arrangement." Maura smiled. "she's fine about it."

"Our arrangement? What arrangement?" Jane frowned, squawking when the baby was placed in her lap, the doctor avoiding the two pronged question. Mia gnawed on her little fist, slouching against the detective's chest. "Maura!"

"Are you denying me dinner?" Maura turned in disbelief. "Ten minutes."

Jane huffed and looked towards ESPN, holding the infant up in her arms. "Fine…" She looked down at the baby whose head lolled against her underarm. Sighing, she pointed at the 40 inch widescreen TV. "You see those? Those are the Yankees… the bad guys." She let a smile pull on her lips when Maura giggled from the kitchen. "And that's Gardner, you do not wanna mess with him." She looked down at the wide, cerulean eyes gazing back at her.

"Jane… really?" Maura put her soy bean salad in a dish and came back over to the couch.

"Like she knows what I'm saying," Jane scoffed and looked at the strange looking meal in her friend's lap. "I don't even wanna know what that is."

"Edamame…" Maura replied. She was proud to see that Jane had the little girl settled in her arms despite not paying much attention to the dozing baby. Instead, she peered curiously at the weird green beans.

"Isn't that a kind of cheese?" Jane's nose wrinkled.

"Edamame," Maura repeated with a groan. "Soybeans." She explained, then was interrupted by a loud beeping that shocked Mia. The infant's lip bent in a pout and she began to whimper. She watched Jane hush the child with a small murmur and picked up her cell. "Isles?"

Frost's voice sounded grim. "You're up. Double homicide, BPL, Boylston Branch."

Maura sat up. "The library?"

"Yep. See you in a bit."

Maura nearly dropped the phone. This was a place she had practically lived in, especially in her senior year. She looked at Jane whose hand was immediately resting on her back. "What's up?"

"Double… at BPL."

Jane frowned. She was about to grouch about not being able to go and being left with the strange baby until she saw Maura's face. She knew the blonde was passionate about the place, so she sighed, hoisting Mia up a little more who was drooling steadily on her tank top. Then she did something... different. Unable to stop herself, she pulled Maura by the chin into a hesitant kiss. Maura's eyes widened, then saw Jane's closed ones and gave into the searching lips, asking for entrance. Jane didn't have enough time to feel Maura's tongue against hers before she noticed Maura tearing away with a gasp. "Jane..."

"When you get back, we're gonna talk about this, okay?" Jane surprised the woman with a further peck on the nose. Maura nodded and gathered her things.

"You'll be okay?"

Jane exhaled and looked down at the child, fast asleep in the crook of her arm. "I think I've got it covered. You just owe me… big time."

"I'll think of something," Maura gave a charming smile. "See you later."

Jane nodded. "Hey, Maur?"

"Hmm?" Maura held the door open and turned to see the innocent picture of Jane and the stranger's baby.

"Be safe." Jane said gently.

The doctor gave a deep nod before turning back and leaving the house. When she got out of the front door, she looked at the nighttime breeze with a heavy heart. She'd do anything to play house with Jane for just one night. But work was work, and before she knew it, she was sat in her Mercedes, turning the engine off and walking up the steps to the place she once called a safe haven.