A/N: Just a short Rizzles-drabble. Hope you like. (No copyright infringement and all that.)
Jane Rizzoli's look was puzzled as she came tip-toeing into the kitchen. The tv in the living room was on and there was someone sitting infront of it - her mom.
"Mom," she demanded in a whisper. "what're you doing?"
Angela turned and smiled at her daughter in that way she had - the one that was all-knowing, all-motherly, and all-annoying to Jane.
"Did you fall asleep in Maura's bed again?" the older woman asked her daughter and Jane blushed lightly which couldn't be seen by what little flickering light the tv was giving.
"Yeah, I did," she answered and came over to her mom, standing behind the couch and looking at what her mother was watching.
"I swear I don't know how you do it… at least twice a week," Angela mumbled and turned back to her program.
"Mom, what are you watching there?"
"Well, you should know. This was the only show you would watch during the time you were at the academy, remember?"
"Xena: Warrior Princess?" Jane asked baffled, remembering indeed how much love she had for the show and especially the main character. Xena was simply bad-ass, but also kind and compassionate. She'd wanted to be just like her back then… how was that for a memory?
Jane walked around the couch and sat down next to her mother.
"They're showing a marathon and you know how Maura's tv makes Bill O'Reilly's blue eyes all shiny… same happens with that warrior woman. She's got nice eyes, too." Angela said but Jane didn't seem to hear her. She stared as if transfixed at the screen, trying to remember which episode, which season. It had to be before four since Gabrielle still had her long hair…
"Jane?" came a whispering voice from back over behind the kitchen and it was Maura's voice. "Jane, did you find…?" But she stopped as she found mother and daughter sitting infront of the tv. "It is 2 in the morning. Why are you watching tv?" The medical examiner asked bewildered.
"Shhh, it's Xena," Jane said and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl in her mother's lap.
"Xe… what was that?"
"Xena: Warrior Princess," Angela replied. "She's some warrior chick in ancient greece who makes fun of guys and gods a lot. She's also got a best friend she travels with. She's the sweetest thing, I think I like her better than Xena even…"
"Now there's a big surprise," Jane grumbled. Maura, meanwhile, watched some of the action on screen. She had never been one to watch a lot of tv, nature and books had been so much more alive… but this looked… strangely enticing. She walked around the couch and sat next to Angela also, on the other side of Jane.
Angela smiled. This was nice, watching something that was good, clean fun with her daughter and Maura who was also like a daughter. Had she known that the show was this good, and that she could actually bond a little with her daughter while watching it she would have done this when Jane was still at the academy and would miss anything rather than this show.
It was strange, really, how appealing it was. But it was all about the close friendship of the women. Sure, there were the occasional warlords who caused mayhem, friends and enemies who interfered at intervals… and sometimes a sort-of boyfriend but none of that mattered much because Xena and Gabrielle were… an entity, soul-mates.
Angela sighed happily, munching some popcorn as she watched the program and let Jane answer Maura's multiple questions about the characters and what was happening. Jane seemed to remember the whole storyline, remarkable.
And while she was looking at the strong, stubborn set of Xena's jaw, watched her take one evil guys and still be this amazingly compassionate woman, she saw something else that was pretty remarkable. And she looked over at her daughter, back to the tv, back to Jane.
"They're pretty close, aren't they?" Maura asked into Angela's thoughts.
"Yeah, they're best friends and.. well, soul-mates they'll call it in later episodes," Jane answered and looked over at Maura for a second. They both smiled and Angela looked from Jane to Maura, to the tv, to Maura. Yeah, there was certainly some resemblance there. The kind heart, the dimples, the need to help those in need…
"Oh my," Angela breathed and grinned widely.
"What?" Jane asked.
"I just…," and Angela chuckled. "never noticed that I'm the mother of the warrior princess."
"What?" Jane screeched irratibly. Maura giggled.
"There is some semblance in your facial bonestructure, especially the jaw and the cheekbones," she agreed with Jane's mother.
"Stop that, no," Jane said. She started throwing popcorn at the other two women who had far too much fun comparing her to Xena.
"If I'm like Xena, you're totally like Gabrielle," she then said and Maura looked at her surprised.
"I look not at all like the young girl," she said.
"Well, you both have dimples, but I'm referring to her character more. You're pretty alike," Jane teased.
"I don't think…"
"Jane is right. You're both very sweet, always trying to help people - or dead people…"
"And chatty which is sooooo annoying…" Jane said and Maura protested with the help of Angela. They continued this comparison, finding other characters that equalled some people in their lives, although Angela vehemently defended both Frankie and Tommy when Jane compared them to Joxer. They watched until the early morning hours when they all had to get ready for work… but they've had a lot of fun and Angela found that she'd had enjoyed few nights more than this… when she'd realized just how close Jane and Maura really were.