I do not own the characters and I'm not making a profit off this. Enjoy.
Rated M for naked spice
Clear-cut Intentions
Chapter One: simple loops
It was Christmas Eve.
And Jane Rizzoli was pissed. She'd spent the last two hours on the internet looking for the perfect gift for Maura Isles, her best friend and colleague, and just could not come up with a present to fit her budget and her expectations. Last year, Jane gave Maura a gift card to the coffee shop down the street. It was a sure hit as Jane knew it would be. But this year's gift, would be held to a higher standard.
And after hours of tooling the digital world of shopping, she came up a massive blank. Nada. "After spending so much time with Maura, you'd I'd know her by now?" Jane muttered to the computer screen, not really expecting an answer.
Korsak came in to the squad room at the exact moment that Jane smacked her desk with her fist in frustration, needing an outlet for her sudden aggression. He was used to seeing his partner beating up inanimate objects but for some reason, the expression on her face caused him to actually talk to her instead of walking by and ignoring her outburst. "Hey, Jane. What's going on? The desk not cooperating again?" He chortled as she looked up from her monitor and rubbed her fist. "You better be careful or else you're going to bruise your hand again and people will start spreading rumors again, just like last week. Remember when you…" he paused mid-sentence as her frustration slipped into a frown of disgust.
"It's not the desk that's annoying me. It's this damn holiday season and all the idiotic gifts I have to buy to meet expectations. I've spent the last two hours looking through every female store, from Victoria's secret, to Macy's and I have come up with exactly nada." She sighed and sat back in her chair. "What the hell do I get Maura? Hey, what are you getting her?"
He looked around the squad to ensure that they were alone then said, "I'm getting her a set of scrubs. They are some fancy material, breathable but resistant to splatters, or at least that's what the sales lady told me when I got em yesterday."
Jane nibbled her lip, then mumbled, "huh. Yeah, that's a good idea… But what can I get her?"
Korsak sat down at his desk and leaned back. "Well, just think of something she uses or could use on a regular basis then get that for her. After having to buy more than my share of Holiday gifts for women, I find that they really appreciate the practical things the most. Frilly stuff is good for Valentines day but since you're not dating her then get her something she can use daily and think of you." He shrugged, then turned around, missing the look of panic on Jane's features.
"That's really no help, man. No help," she muttered, and flicked off her computer, figuring the shopping online crap was finished for the day. "I need to go to the stores. Maybe, I'll hit up the hardware store. Get Maura an ergonomically fit hammer so she can whack you in the head tomorrow, after she's opened her presents."
"She'll appreciate the effort, Jane. And that's what matters most." He nodded to her, then went back to his paperwork. "Women are simpler than most men realize. I've been married to a few, so I've got the experience to back my claims here."
"I'm not arguing." Jane grabbed her jacket and left the squad room, stuffing her wallet and keys into her pocket without glancing back at Korsak. "I've got my cell if an emergency hits," she shouted back over her shoulder, as she pounded the elevator button in, then stuck her hands into her pockets. She stared at her scuffed black boots, and thought of present ideas for Maura. Shoes were sure to be an absolute hit with her friend, but their ideas over what kind of shoes varied greatly. "So, no shoes," she whispered to the shiny doors, her reflection staring back with hooded eyes.
The doors banged open and she stepped in to the empty elevator. After thinking of several other ideas and coming up with nothing worthy, she said to the dirty elevator floor, "I'll go to the hardware store. Korsak's right. Maura needs something practical from me, not something frilly and pointless." The floor shook as the elevator dropped and motored down.
Jane shuffled and fidgeted, hating being confined in a small space for too long without moving around. After several seconds of bored silence, she thought of Maura helping her father, the plumber, as he tore apart the pipes in the Robber flashed through her brain as the elevator stopped and she headed toward her car. "I've never seen a woman so determined to pull on pipes before," she murmured, unlocking her car and staring blankly at her reflection in the car window. "What are you looking at, Rizzoli?" she asked, taking a deep breath then said, "nothing but the chicken in the window." She jerked her car open in a huff and drove to the store, managing to only curse at a few obtuse drivers instead of every one she encountered.
The hardware stored smelled exactly the same way that Jane remembered it- a combination of mechanical grease, new rubber, and old leather. She inhaled the scents and sighed in pleasure. "Missed this," she murmured to herself, ignoring the old man at the key aisle, whipping around and gazing at her with wide eyes. In an effort to prove to her co-workers and friends that she could be less of a tom-boy and more of a girly-girl, she quit hanging out at the hardware store every weekend about five years ago. When she'd need a bag of nails or a set of tools, she sent her brother Frankie or borrowed her fathers vast variety of fix-anything hardware. She headed for the gift set aisle without needing to ask for directions.
"Maura would appreciate a variety of tools. Maybe a drill too?" Jane whispered, perusing the boxes set up in a neat display case before her eyes. The price of tools had increased since the last time she had purchased any, and that had to be the reason for the locked display case. She stared at each set with meticulous intent, taking note of the way each box was displayed. It was the holiday season, and the store was definitely catering toward the wives and clueless partners of fix-it husbands. She found a set that she liked, which included a variety of tools that would definitely fit Maura. And it even included ergonomically correct grips on each tool. Smiling at her find, she spun around and looked for the sales clerk to unlock the case and get her gift.
A young boy of about twenty, crept out from the corner and approached her with glazed eyes. "Ccccannn, I hhhelp you?" he said, staring into her eyes.
She nodded, pointing at the case. "Will you unlock this," she jabbed her finger at the set she chose, "and grab that set for me…" she glanced down at his crooked name tag, "Cooper."
He grabbed for his keys, missing them the first time, then dropping them as he fiddled with the set to find the correct key that unlocked the case. Cooper got the door open with a jerk then asked, "whaa.. Which set did you want?"
"That one. The E700."
"That's a ggggreattt set." He grabbed the set, clutching the corners. "Ggggift wrap?"
"Yeah. Say, Cooper. You worked here a long time?"
"A..about a year, ma'am."
"Do all customers scare you, or just me?" Jane grabbed his shoulder and clutched his quivering muscles. "I'm really not a scary person." She flashed him her biggest smile.
Cooper swallowed and blinked. "You don't scare me." He stood up straighter. "I've just never seen someone as beautiful as you in here before."
"Hmm. Even now…" she gestured at the display case then toward the decorations aisle at the back of the store, "during the holidays and such. Lots of pretty women coming in to find their husbands manly gifts… Why, I can't imagine that my face is such a distraction for you with all this pretty, sparkly crap hanging around?"
She watched him swallow again and lick his lips nervously. But he remained silent. "Okay, well whatever. Will you get this rung up and set in a pretty box with a fluffy bow for me?"
He nodded. "Take about twenty minutes." Then he walked up to the counter and waited for her credit card. She handed it over, brushing his fingers in the process. Her fingertips came away moist with his sweat.
She smiled again, signing her name in the box and winked. "I'll be back then. See ya in a few, Cooper."
"Jane," he whispered her name, but loud enough that Jane heard him as she stepped out of the shop. She smiled as she headed down the street toward one of the many coffee-shops that littered the downtown Boston area. Stepping inside, she was immediately assaulted with the scent of fresh coffee and warm chocolate. Jane placed her order, paid then stood back to wait. A minute or so later, Jane grabbed the cup and winked at the barista, a sexy blonde of about twenty with a lip ring and spiked hair.
"Cute kid," she muttered, sipping her beverage and watching the foot traffic going by on the sidewalk.
She took a drink and shut her eyes at the taste of the bold roast on her tongue.
Then a strong hand grabbed her shoulder and squeezed. Jane choked on her coffee and opened her eyes.
Maura Isles stood right next to her.
After coughing some more, Jane managed to get her breath back and wheezed a greeting. "Hey Maura."
"Hello Jane." Maura released her grip and sat down in the chair across from Jane. "What are you doing down this direction?"
"I was shopping."
"Me too. I still had a few things on my list to take care of." Maura watched Jane as she drank more of her coffee, tilting the cup up as she finished what was inside. "I'm all finished shopping now. It's such a relief to throw away my list and know that I don't have to fight the crowds again." She looked at the table. "They can be so vicious."
Jane set her empty cup down and twirled it in a circle, her mind immediately thinking of where Maura was that had vicious crowds and if she was hurt in the process, but not saying so. "Do you have plans for tonight? You wanna watch a video together and help me put up my tree?"
Maura looked up. "No plans. I canceled my date tonight, knowing that you would need help with your tree…just as you did last year. And I'm sure the year before, though I wasn't in Boston to know for absolute certainty. But I bet that Frankie will tell if I ask."
"Oh. Don't do that. If you knew that I'd need help this year then I needed help before. You're right, you just weren't around to help then. You are now." Jane smiled at Maura, noticing how her perfect cheek bones bloomed a pleasant pink.
Jane stood up, glancing pointedly at her watch. "Well, it's been nice chatting, Maur, but I've got to go pick up my last present. I'll see you tonight at six or so. Just stop by." She nodded to Maura, then left at a brisk walk, eager to get the present and get gone before Maura had the chance to think over the selection of stores within walking distance of the coffeeshop. One thing Jane quickly discovered about her new friend was her ability to put together clues better than any detective. Maura had an IQ in the genius level and few people really took the time to realize that. She was also incredibly modest and sincere.
The wind blew hard from the north as Jane made her way back to the hardware store. She tightened her jacket and shoved her hands in her pockets to protect them from the biting wind. Using her shoulder, she opened the hardware store door and quickly stepped inside. There were more people inside than before, but Jane trudged ahead and located Cooper as he stood stalwartly in front of the counter, directing an older couple toward the back of the store. He looked up and noticed her immediately.
"Jane," he shouted, "I've got your gift finished." He hurried over to the shelf behind the counter and grabbed her gift, wrapped in smooth, plain brown paper and decorated with a red, green, and gold bow. Jane stared at it, clutched between his slim fingers, and took note of the quality of wrappings. It looked simple and beautiful. And absolutely perfect. Maura was sure to love the wrapping if not the present.
She smiled at him as she took it. "It looks wonderful. Thank you, Cooper. I'll be sure to ask for you next time I come in." She winked at him, slipped the gift gingerly under her arm and left the store as quickly as she had entered. A group of women, dressed in expensive pantsuits, entered right as she was exiting. She rolled her eyes at the presents they were bound to purchase for their husbands and jogged to her car, laughing under her breath. The air was cold, moisture chilling her skin as she slid into the leather seats of her car, the cold leather chilling her thighs through her wool trousers.
Jane drove to the precinct, circled the block thinking about whether or not to go back to work, and decided to just head home and use the rest of the day as a vacation day. She had her cell if an emergency came through and what did it matter if she was actually at her desk or at her house if a call did come through. Korsak was still at the precinct and so was Frost as far as she knew. After parking her car and grabbing her present, she jogged up the stairs and into her apartment without checking her mail. It was the holidays and she knew there would be a fistful of Christmas cards in there from people she really didn't care to acknowledge she even knew. She took of her jacket, setting the present down on the end table by her couch and headed toward the bedroom to change into her sweats and hooded sweatshirt.
As Jane slipped her trousers off, she heard movement in her living room. Thinking that it was just Jo moving around, she finished dressing, hanging her suit up by the door for an easy change if the situation warranted it, then headed for the kitchen to grab a beer, slipping her work cell into her pocket in case she needed to answer it. As she passed the bookshelf in the hallway, she slipped her reading glasses on and grabbed the book she had started reading the day before under her arm. She turned the corner, her head ducked down and watching out for any stray dog toys that might have landed in the hallway. "So, Jo. What are we gonna feed Maura?"
"Pizza would be the logical conclusion."
Jane froze, dropping her book and looking up at the owner of the voice in disbelief. "Jo?" she asked before her brain could put together the image before her with the timbre of the voice she just heard.
A/N: I had to rewrite the next chapter because it's been so long since I've written a smut scene that it just didn't sound right or plausible. :+)