WITH EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART
A/N I'm trying something new. Spreading my creative wings. This story is part SCI-FI, part A/U and part Panther style.
Our two favorite heroines are at it gain…..with a major twist. Dr. Maura Isles is still the same super intelligent, sexy medical examiner we have always known and loved. Our Jane, is…well to begin with, she is Jane. During the course of investigating the death of a dancer, she becomes someone else. It will take Jane, Maura and the rest of the crew to get everyone back in their respective bodies.
Detective Jane Rizzoli stood at attention and kept her gaze straight ahead staring at the dull beige wall of the auditorium. Why did people have to make such a big deal out of someone doing their job? She was a sworn officer of the law. It was her duty to protect and serve those in her city. Yet, the Mayor and Police Commissioner as well as Captain Matthews thought she should be given a medal for doing her job. She fought hard to stand straight and not fidget. Maura would not be happy if she fidgeted. In the car on the drive over, Maura had accused her of acting like a sulky child. Jane watched the Commissioner remove the brass medal from the bed of blue velvet and pin it to her dress blues. "Thank you." she mumbled shaking his hand and that of the Mayor and her Captain.
As soon as the formalities had been observed, Jane excused herself and hurried from the building. She stopped just inside the underground garage and took several deep breaths. "Sucks don't it?" detective Vince Korsak chuckled coming to stand beside her.
"Hey Partner, you gonna let me borrow that if I need to impress a date?" Detective Barry Frost teased coming to join the party.
"Hey Janie, Ma is looking for you. She wants to get some pictures for the album." Jane's brother Frankie Jr., a beat cop, warned waving in the direction of the municipal building she had just escaped from.
Jane gave him a frazzled glare and started for the door. She didn't want to stand like a statue while Angela Rizzoli, the mother in question, shot an entire roll of film. What she wanted was to find Maura and hide in her apartment with a six pack of beer and a large half vegetarian half meat lovers deluxe. Why had everyone except Maura came looking for her?
Inside the Municipal building, Ma Rizzoli was snapping away. She cornered Maura and took three shots before asking "Oh, you look so beautiful. Where's Jane? She should be here with you. Did you two have a fight?" Angela Rizzoli looked deep into the concerned hazel eyes and clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I know this is…different for all of us, but you two love each other and at the heart of things, that's all that really matters." Ma Rizzoli took Maura's hands in hers and promised. "You have to keep pushing her Sweetheart. Jane needs to be led into things. Even the things that are best for her. Don't give up on her. On the two of you. Just keep pushing her gently and she'll come around."
Jane stepped into the room of city dignitaries. She accepted well wishes and congratulations, keeping her voice upbeat and pleasant, but her eyes never left the honey blonde woman standing with her mother at the far end of the auditorium. Jane narrowed her eyes and studied the slightly drawn brows, the ever so thinned lips and the tightly crossed arms. Maura was upset. She forgot about the crowd surging around her and made her way to the pair of still chatting women.
Ma saw Jane first and flew to envelop her in a proud embrace. Jane allowed her mother to crush her tight for a few seconds and then squirmed out of the arms she had been comforted by all her life. Right now, there was only one set of arms she wanted around her. And they were gone. There was nothing but empty space where Maura had stood less than a minute earlier. She swore under her breath drawing censure from Ma.
Maura saw Jane disappear into her mothers arms and hurried from the building. She had two bodies to post and she needed to stop for Bok Choy and British strawberries for Bass before heading home today.
"Are you avoiding me?"
Warm breath stirred the hair at her temple and strong arms closed around her middle. Maura tried to stand her ground, but Jane was much stronger and easily pulled her into a tight hug. A slight bunching of well toned muscles had her facing Jane and their lips fused before her mind could command her to protest. Maura leaned into the silky caress of Jane's tongue against her own. She loved everything about this woman. As Jane gently nibbled her lips and tongue, Maura found herself falling deeper in love with an invisible partner.
Small hands caressed Jane's face and shoulders. Wounded pride came to her rescue and gave her the strength to push out of the embrace. "Jane, we have to talk."
Somewhere a game show host was crafting his latest brain child. "What is the universal signal for 'this relationship is over?" Jane resisted the impulse to pull Maura back into her arms. She looked down at her highly polished boots and lightly scuffed the toe against the concrete floor of the morgue. "I know I flaked out on yoga this morning and I drank all the milk." she pressed her right hand over her heart and vowed. "I promise, we will do both the morning and evening classes for the rest of the week and I'll stop by the store on the way home. I'll even agree to a five mile run and let you choose what movie we see tonight."
"Jane, it's Thursday and there is no class tomorrow. I stopped for milk and some things for Bass after leaving the ceremony." Maura moved closer to the body she had just finished posting. Such a tragedy, an 18 year old killed in a car accident.
Jane rubbed both hands over her face. She knew what Maura wanted to talk about and as much as Maura wanted that conversation, Jane didn't. "OK, all next week then. You up for pizza at my place tonight?" Jane stepped closer thinking to pull Maura back into her arms.
"No. I need to spend time with Bass. I think he's feeling abandoned." Maura moved to the opposite side of the table keeping the body between them.
This talk was coming just like the one Ma had insisted on when she turned fourteen. "Maura, I…" What could she say? If she told Maura the truth, not only would it kill their relationship, but it would break Maura's heart. Why did love have to be so damned complicated?
"Jane, we're both adults. We were in a stressful situation and…"
"Fuck!" Jane swore savagely. "It isn't stress, Maura. What I feel…"
Maura flinched at the anger in Jane's voice. She felt tears sting her eyelids and fought to keep them from falling. She took a deep breath and held her head high looking straight into Jane's eyes. She almost rushed back into Jane's arms staring into the dark brown depths staring back at her. It had to be both of them, or nothing at all. "No. It isn't stress. It's embarrassment."
Jane scrubbed her hands over her face again and let out a load groan of frustration. Why did Maura boil everything down and make it sounds so simple? Every morning she got a shit load of ribbing at the briefing. If she worked out in the gym at the station, not only did the men tease her, but half the women acted like she was trying to molest them. Maura was here in the morgue all day with dead bodies. Candy and the rest of the staff were thrilled that Maura had found love. The only ones in Jane's life, besides Maura, who were happy for them was her family. Even Frost and Korsak joined the teasing. "Maura, I love you."
"When there's no one around except Jo Friday, Bass or Watson." Maura snapped. She was losing the fight to keep her tears contained. Any second now they were going to start sliding down her cheeks.
Jane stepped forward to walk around the table and was stopped by the ringing of her phone. "Rizzoli." She snapped pushing hair off her shoulders. "What? Now? I'll be there in ten." She returned her phone to the case on her belt. "Maura. I love you, but it's not easy."
"Let me make it a lot easier for you, Jane."
In three quick strides Jane was pulling Maura into her arms and sealing their lips. She fought to put her entire heart into the kiss. When both were fighting to breathe, Jane released Maura's mouth and held her close. "I have to go to a crime scene, we have to go to a crime scene. Please, don't do anything until we talk this out OK?" She tenderly brushed her fingertips over Maura's kiss swollen lips. "I don't want to lose you. You mean everything to me. It's just…Hell, we have to go."
Frost was already at the scene, his guilty look told Jane the scene was a grisly one. She took Maura's hand and led the three of them into an old warehouse that now housed a dance studio and a Smoothie bar. One look confirmed Jane's suspicion. Pinned under a row of glaring white lights lay a still figure. The arms were flung out to the sides and long smear marks from above the head to the waist gave the impression of bloody angel wings.
"April Long. 24. Student at BCU studying theater." Frost kept his eyes glued to Jane as he gave his report. He could almost feel the blood seeping across the floor.
"This is my dance studio." Maura whispered. "I take classes here three nights a week."
"Do you know the victim?" Jane asked stepping closer to Maura so their shoulders touched.
"No. The name isn't familiar." Maura hated the weakness that drew her into Jane's body. She exhaled slowly and stopped fighting as their hips made contact.
"Hey, Rizzoli, you and your girlfriend gonna stand around playing with each other, or you gonna do some work?" Four familiar male voices erupted in laughter.
Maura jerked away from Jane and walked to the body. She knew the guys were giving Jane a hard time and she had heard several of the women whispering in the locker room. This must be what it felt like to attend a public high school. She watched as the lights were lifted off the crushed body.
"Hey, those lights still got hot juice!" A bald man of indeterminate age roared rushing toward Maura.
Fearing she was in danger, Jane lunged across the floor putting herself between the man and Maura. On the catwalk, three stories above the dance studio a figure in black watched the drama below. Why have one masterpiece, when two are there for the taking?
"Jane!" Maura screamed as the live wire arced through the air and connected with Jane's left shoulder. Sparks danced across the floor as current surged through Jane. In less time than it takes to draw a breath, Jane was on the floor deathly still the wire swinging slowly side to side and sparks popping and shooting in all directions.
So…?