Authors Note: Hey guys, I'm still new at this fanfiction thing, so if you want to drop a line to let me know what you think, that would be much appreciated! Hope you enjoy.
Jane hated this. She hated the dress shopping and the shoe shopping and her Mother's insistence that she "look like a girl" for once in her life. Maura hadn't been much help either, she had been too delighted at the idea of helping her best friend shop for a prom dress to realise that the very friend in question was getting ready to strangle her own mother. Maura, of course, had already bought a prom dress and was having it shipped from Paris or Milan, or some other exotic, expensive place.
When Garrett Fairfield invited Maura to the prom as his date, Jane had been half relieved and half pissed. As ridiculously stunning, smart and amazing as Maura was, she lacked certain social skills, which often left her on the outskirts. She was relentlessly teased and mocked; 'Maura the Bore-a' they called her, no matter how many people Jane beat up to try and stop it. So to know that the richest, most popular guy in school was taking Maura to the Prom left Jane hoping that her best friend could finish off her high school years in peace.
On the other hand though, Garrett was kind of an asshole, and she didn't really like the idea of him getting his smarmy hands on her best friend. But far be it for Jane to stand in the way of what Maura wanted. If he was going to make Maura happy then Jane had no problem keeping her mouth shut.
"Jane! Stop fidgeting."
Jane frowned and looked at her mother in the mirror.
"Aren't you done yet?" she whined.
Angela Rizzoli slapped at her daughter's shoulder, before continuing to try and tucks the last few loose strands of hair into place.
"It'd be a lot quicker if you'd just stop fidgeting," she replied, rolling her eyes at her oldest daughter's pout.
Jane managed to wait semi-patiently as Angela yanked and tugged at her hair in an attempt to control it somewhat.
"Perfect," she pronounced finally, and Jane let out a sigh of relief.
She moved to the full- length mirror where she eyed herself carefully. Her dress was a dark blue, which Maura said looked excellent with her skin tone. He dark, curly hair was pulled into a simple bun at the base of her neck, with a few strands left framing her face. He dark eyes were accentuated with carefully applied eyeliner and lashings of mascara. All in all, she didn't look too bad, she decided, even though she would've liked to wear pants instead of a dress.
From downstairs, there was a knock at the door and Angela jumped to her feet to go and answer it.
"That'll be Casey," she said delightedly. "I need to get my camera. Ooh, my little girl looks so beautiful! This is going to be the best night of your life!"
She gave Jane a quick squeeze and was gone.
Jane rolled her eyes and reached for the little black clutch that Maura had insisted she buy to match her shoes.
She tapped out a quick text to her best friend, wondering if she was ready yet or not.
It's official– my mother is insane. She's been fussing over my hair for the last hour. Garrett there yet? J x
"Jane! Casey's here!" came her mother's shrill yell.
Jane sighed and slipped her phone into her clutch, nearly tripping as she attempted to walk down the stairs.
"Shit," she muttered, clutching at the railing. "These stupid, fucking heels–"
"Jane Clementine Rizzoli!"
Jane sighed.
"Sorry, Ma. Hey, Casey."
"Hi Jane," he replied, beaming up at her from the bottom of the stairs. "You look beautiful."
She blushed, just a little, and somewhere in the back of her mind, wondered if Maura would say the same thing.
"Erm thanks. You too, I mean, you look good or whatever."
"Don't slouch, Jane. You'll ruin the photos."
"Jesus Christ, Ma." She frowned but straightened anyway, moving next to Casey for a shot next to the stairs.
"Look, Janie's wearing a dress."
"Jane and Casey, sitting in a tree–"
"Shut up, you two," Jane growled, turning to hit at her two little brothers. They both laughed and ducked out the way, making kissy faces at her behind their mother's back.
She rolled her eyes and turned back to Casey. He was wearing the expected tux and he looked alright, she guessed. She tried to check her phone to see if Maura had replied, but Casey was making a big deal about having bought her some stupid flower for her wrist, and her Ma was practically dying with happiness and her brothers wouldn't stop with the kissy faces, which was getting old, fast.
With a sigh, she stood through the necessary two hundred million photos with a smile plastered on her face. Eventually, Angela permitted her oldest daughter to leave, admonishing Casey to look after her and to drive safe.
Casey had only just finished saving up to get his own car and so he had wanted to take Jane to prom in it. She didn't mind, anything else was either tacky or over the top anyway.
Casey rambled the whole way to prom– something about his plans for the future, or where their relationship was headed. Jane just tuned him out and finally managed to check her phone.
No reply.
She frowned slightly, but figured Maura was just busy getting ready, or listening to Fairfield go on and on about being rich and boring or something. She sighted, wishing that the two of them could've gotten ready together. Come to think of it, she wished they could of just gone to prom together, even if Casey and Garrett had to tag along somewhere in the background.
It was too late for that brilliant idea now though. Plus, it'd be nice to get the full impact of seeing her best friend even more dolled up than usual.
Jane and Casey walked arm in arm through the doors, Jane making a face at the ridiculous crepe paper streamers and balloons that covered the gym.
"It looks nice, doesn't it?" Casey said.
Jane managed a non-committal grunt.
"Can you see Maura?" She craned her neck to try and spot her petite friend amongst the crowd.
"Not yet. But it's still early."
With another sigh, Jane once again managed to tune Casey out as she positioned them carefully near the punch bowl, which gave her a perfect view of the door.
Half an hour went by and Jane was fidgeting again. Classmates had come up to engage them in conversation, which Casey responded to eagerly. Jane just brooded, still waiting for her best friend to arrive.
"Jane," Casey said, nudging her with his elbow.
"What?" she snapped. He frowned slightly under her glare, but answered anyway.
"Fairfield's over there."
Jane spun, her eyes landing first on Garrett, before turning to the girl on his arm.
It wasn't Maura.
She was tall, thin and blonde. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Jane recognized her as the head cheerleader. But her overwhelming thought was that she was not Maura.
"What the fuck?" she gritted out between clenched teeth, before moving over to block the path of Garrett and not-Maura. Casey followed obediently,
"Jane, I'm sure it's–"
"Fairfield," she spat and the arrogant prick looked her up and down before cocking one eyebrow.
"Yes, Rizzoli?"
"Who the fuck is this? Where the fuck is Maura?" She was vaguely aware of Casey placing his hand in the small of her back, trying to tell her to relax. She shrugged him off, anger stopping her from seeing straight.
"Who?" Garrett asked, cocky smile still in place.
"Maura. Isles. She was your date."
Garrett laughed lightly.
"Oh, Bore-a," he said. "I guess I just had a change of plans. She understood."
He laughed again and the blonde bimbo on his arm joined in. Jane whirled to face Casey, only to see him chuckling slightly.
"Give me your keys."
"What?" Casey asked, confusion evident behind his grin, as he pulled them out absently. "Jane, it was just a harmless joke."
WHACK!
The sound of her fist hitting the side of Casey's face was incredibly satisfying. She grabbed his keys and turned back to Fairfield who was blocking her way.
"Come on, Rizzoli," he said, still laughing like the asshole he was, "Like Jones said– it was just a joke. Let it go."
This time her punch landed directly into Fairfield's nose with a sickening crack, and he cried out, his hands coming up to try and stop the blood flow before it dripped onto his ridiculously expensive tux.
"You bitch!" he yelled, reaching for her, but she was already running.
Oh god, Maura, she thought.
When Jane parked Casey's car out the front of Maura's house, she took a second to calm down, not wanting to upset Maura further with the anger that was in no way directed at her.
After a few steadying breaths, she made her way up to the front door, knocking firmly.
Come on, Maur, she thought, hoping that the blonde would let her in. The footsteps that she heard behind the closed door were too heavy to be Maura's however, and when the door was opened, it revealed Margaret, the Isles' housekeeper.
"Miss Rizzoli," she said, casting a surprised eye over Jane's attire. "What can I do for you?"
"Is Maura here?" Jane asked. "Please can I see her?"
Margaret raised an eyebrow, but stepped aside, letting Jane in.
"I believe Miss Isles is in her room," she said, before walking away.
Jane took the stairs two at a time and knocked furiously on Maura's door before simply flinging it open. What she saw however, made her pause.
"Wow," she managed. "Maur, you look… wow."
The brunette was quite simply lost for words as her eyes travelled over her best friend. The dress was black and silky, modest enough to show only the tiniest hint of cleavage, but cut low at the back to reveal a pale of expanse of skin that left Jane feeling dizzy. Maura's long blonde hair was piled atop of her head with a few loose curls left free, and she had silver earrings dangling from her ears. The blonde met Jane's eyes in the mirror and tried to force a watery smile. Her make up had no doubt been done perfectly, but her mascara was now smudged and her eyes red rimmed.
"Hi Jane," Maura managed. "You look gorgeous."
"Oh, Maur."
Jane stepped forward and pulled her friend into a hug, she felt it as Maura began to cry again, her small frame shaking with sobs.
"I'm so sorry, Maur. I came as soon as I realised."
She rubbed small circles on the blonde's back, shivering slightly at the feel of the soft, silky skin under her fingertips.
"You shouldn't be here, Jane," Maura sobbed, "I'm ruining your senior prom."
"Don't be ridiculous. I didn't want to be there without you anyway," Jane said, one hand moving up to stroke Maura's hair. She realised that the five-inch heels her best friend was wearing made them the same height, even with Jane's wearing her own ridiculous shoes.
"What about Casey?" Maura choked out, still clinging to Jane desperately.
"Screw Casey. Maura, you are my best friend. You are the most important. I love you, Maur. You know I'd do anything for you."
Maura's response was another choked sob, and an "I'm sorry," whispered against Jane's neck.
"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for, understand?" Jane pulled back so that she could look at the blonde directly. Maura averted her eyes, looking at the floor as she wiped at her smudged mascara.
"Maura, look at me. Look at me."
She looked up into dark brown eyes that were intently focused on her own.
"Fairfield doesn't deserve you. He's an arrogant prick. You deserve the very best, Maura, and if he's too much of a fuckhead to see that, then I'm glad I broke his nose."
Maura was horrified.
"You broke his nose? Jane!"
"He deserved it. He deserves a lot worse actually."
Maura watched as her best friend's expression turned angry. She'd never had a friend before, not like this. She wondered if this fluttering in her stomach was something that all friends felt. She didn't think so. Before she could even register what she was doing, she had leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on Jane's lips.
The brunette looked up quickly into concerned hazel eyes that were waiting anxiously for her reaction.
"Thank you, Jane."
A smile tugged at Jane's mouth, and she leaned in a little closer, so that Maura could feel her next words spoken against her own lips.
"Anytime, Maur."
When they kissed this time, Maura could feel it everywhere. She reached one hand up into Jane's hair, tugging her impossibly closer, as the other one landed on her back. Jane wound her own hands around Maura, holding her tight, revelling in the softness of her skin and the feeling of her lips moving over her own. She had kissed guys before, they both had. But it was never like this, never so soft and close and with so much love. They finally broke apart, both gasping for breath. Maura buried her face into Jane's neck, hiding the massive grin that had spread across her face. She pressed a kiss against the brunette's collarbone, before moving back to read her expression. Jane's smile was almost as big as her own, and she breathed a sigh of relief because of it.
God, she is stunning, thought Jane as she looked at the petite blonde grinning back at her.
"Hey, Maur?" she asked.
"Yes, Jane?"
"Would you go to senior prom with me?"
Maura laughed, looking at the mischievous glint in her best friend's eyes.
"I don't know, Jane. We've missed most of it I think. Plus, won't it be kind of embarrassing?"
Jane leaned in and pressed another kiss against the blonde's lips, sighing happily as Maura smiled into the kiss. She pulled away after a moment, keeping her arms wrapped tightly around her friend.
"We don't have to, if you don't want to," she said, "I just thought, you look so beautiful tonight that it's not really fair to keep you all to myself."
Maura laughed again as she considered it.
"Plus," Jane added, "I need to formally dump Casey. And give him his car back."
"Okay, Jane," Maura said, smiling. "But only if I can go with you as your girlfriend."
Jane beamed at her best friend, fighting the urge to kiss her again as she looked up hopefully from beneath thick, dark lashes.
"Oh yeah," she said. "Definitely."
She pulled Maura in for another hug, pressing a kiss on top of perfect blonde curls.
"Definitely," she said again, smiling happily.
"Jane?" Maura asked.
"Mmm?"
"I love you, too. Just so you know."
It annoyed Jane a little to admit her mother was right, but she guessed that this was at least in the best possible way. Surprisingly, senior prom had become the best night of her life. Even more surprisingly, she had Garrett Fairfield to thank.