Hey, guys. Just another little something I thought of a while back. It's a little longer than what I usually write, so I'm a little nervous that it kind of just drags out...feedback is welcome and appreciated!
Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles.
It's early December, and Jane and Maura are driving to Portland, Maine for a convention in which Maura is speaking about forensic anthropology. They've driven directly into a blizzard, and it's too late to turn back now.
"Jane, are you sure you can see? I'm not sure if you should be driving…the snow has really picked up in the last fifteen minutes. Do you think we should turn back?" Maura asks Jane.
"What am I not a good driver?" Jane feigns hurt and looks over to Maura. "Are you criticizing my driving skills?!"
"No, Jane," Maura sighs. "Not many people are good drivers when it comes to extreme weather situations, you know,"
"Ugh yeah okay I'm fine. It's kinda hard to see but look, Maur, we're the only car for miles. We're not gonna hit anyone. Besides, we're more than halfway there. Too late to turn back now! Just close your eyes, I'll wake you when we get there," Jane answers, trying to hide the concern in her voice.
"Okay, if you're sure. I'm not going to be able to sleep but maybe if I just close my eyes…Promise you'll wake me if you need me?"
"Promise, now sleep! It's late anyway," Jane laughs at her friend's obvious concern.
The two women drove for about another hour until the blizzard was at full force, and it was too dark to see anything. Jane decided it'd be in their best interest to pull over into the parking lot of what looked to be an abandoned gas station. Looking over at her sleeping friend, Jane smiled.
"Hey, Maur?" Jane speaks softly while placing a gentle hand on the doctor's thigh. "The weather's gettin' pretty bad so I pulled over,"
"Mmm, where are we?" Maura asks, groggily.
"About an hour away. But I'm hoping if we stop for a little bit the snow will calm down. It's pretty late, but there's a light on in the Quick Mart over there, I'm gonna go check to see if it's open. Wait here," Jane states as she exits the car, as Maura turns up the heat a notch.
It's only a matter of minutes before Jane returns to the car, with a disappointed look on her face. "Closed," Jane says as she closes the door and rubs her palms together in an attempt to warm her fingers.
"Oh, shoot. Are you sure?" Questions the honey blonde as she subconsciously takes both of Jane's hands in her own to help warm them.
Jane smiles. "Yeah, I'm sure. Looks like this place was abandoned years ago. Hey, do you have any cell service? I've got no bars,"
"Oh, no, my phone ran out of battery before I fell asleep. I'm sure the snow will calm down soon, we should just remain here in the meantime. How much gas do we have left?"
"Uhh, about a quarter tank. That should last us a while if all we use is the heat, right? It's not like we're driving,"
"Well let's see…if this car's gas tank holds approximately 14 gallons of fuel, then a quarter tank would equal-"
"No. Maura. Don't do the math!" Jane laughs. "How about we play a game? You know, to pass the time?"
"Oh! How about "I'm thinking of a macromolecule"! It was always my favorite game to play in AP Biology!" Maura near yells, very excitedly.
"No, Maura! Really? Macromolecules? Oy. How about chopsticks?"
"Chopsticks? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that game, Jane. Do you need actual chopsticks to participate?"
"No, Maur. Here. Hold out both of your pointer fingers," Jane instructs as she holds both of Maura's hands out between them. "And I do too. So the thing is, if I hit one of your fingers with mine, you need to put up another finger. If I hit yours with two, you need to put up two more, and so on. The point of the game is to get both of the other player's hands 'out' by causing them to have to put up all five fingers. Get it?"
"Yes, I think so. This seems simple enough!" Maura laughs. "May I go first?"
"Sure, Maur, go ahead," Jane smiles, knowing that Maura was more than likely going to kick her ass at this game.
The two women were so consumed by their intense game of chopsticks that they didn't even notice when the car's battery died. The pair continued playing and laughing until they realized something wasn't quite right.
"Hey, Maur, you cold?" Jane asks after her friend visibly shudders. The detective glances over to the dashboard only to realize that none of the icons that were previously there were lit up, and warm air was no longer blowing out of the vents. "Oh, fuck! Maura I think the car died!"
"Oh, goodness, you're right. Do you happen to have a jump starter kit on you?"
"Yeah Maur, lemme just pull some jumper cables and another working battery out of my friggen back pocket. No, Maura! I don't! We're gonna freeze out here!"
"You know, Jane, I don't appreciate your tone! And we are not going to freeze. We are in a small, confined space. We can live off of our own heat. Do you have any survival equipment in here?"
"I dunno. Maybe in the trunk. I think there're some road flares back there!" Jane realizes, as she opens the door to check the trunk for supplies.
Jane returns to the inside of the car moments later, with a few odd objects in her hands. "Okay so, I've got two road flares, a sleeping bag, a water bottle, and a pair of fluffy socks. Really the only things back there that could be of any use to us, I think,"
"Oh! Those road flares will be of great use! Together we'll be able to get about 2 hours out of them. Why don't you go light one now and leave it outside the car? That way if someone passes they'll see it and hopefully be able to jump start us,"
"Okay, be right back, stay put!" Jane smiles, knowing that Maura has nowhere to go.
Maura smiles at Jane's comment before whispering to herself, "Don't worry, Jane. I'd never leave you"
"Hey," Jane announces as she enters the car again, startling Maura. "Oh, didn't mean to scare ya!" the detective laughs, and Maura simply smiles. "Why don't we sit in the back? There's more room and it's probably more comfortable," Jane suggests.
"Good idea," Maura says as she climbs over the center console into the backseat, very much aware that Jane's gaze immediately went south. Jane follows suit and sits cross-legged, facing Maura.
"Okay, so we need to come up with a plan. It's cold, and the temperature is going to keep dropping throughout the night. We need to stay warm, and the interior of the car is only going to insulate us so much," Maura notices Jane's colorless hands, and once again holds them in her own. "Jane, I believe you have Raynaud's Phenomenon in your fingertips!"
"I- what? Gonads phenomenon? What the hell is that?"
"Raynaud's Phenomenon. It's why your fingertips get so discolored in the cold. It'd make sense, because the soft tissue in your hands could very well have been damaged when…well-"
"When Hoyt made me a human pin cushion, I know, Maura,"
"Well, it's actually most common in people who have experienced chemotherapy treatments. Named after a French physician, Maurice Rayna-"
"I don't need a history lesson, Maur. How can I make it go away?" Jane asks, trying to hide her smile.
"Well, I'm afraid it will probably be with you forever. However, there are little thingd you can do to make the pain lesson. Gloves, for example!"
"Well, do you have any gloves for me?" Jane smiles, trying to humor her friend.
Maura's face lights up with a smile as she reaches into her lap and slips one of the fluffy socks Jane found onto each of her friend's hands. "There! That should help improve the pain!" Maura says, proudly.
Jane glances down at her hands and chuckles. "Would you like me to put on a puppet show for you as well?" the dark haired woman says as she opens and closes her sock-clad hands like mouths, eliciting a laugh out of Maura. The detective then proceeds to touch the "puppet" to Maura's cheek whilst making a kissing sound. "Het Maur! I think someone likes you!"
Maura smiles deviously, and without taking her gaze off of Jane, says, "I think you're right,"
Jane blushes, and immediately tries to change the subject. "Hey! Let's play another game. There isn't really much we can do…so how about I Spy?"
"Oh! Okay! I know that one! Here, you go first," Maura says, immediately excited.
"Okay, okay. Umm, I spy with my little eye…something white," Jane smiles.
"Jane that's no fun! You can't spy snow! That's too obvious!"
"I wasn't talking about snow!"
"Oh, alright. Umm, the buttons on my blouse?"
"How were you able to get that so quickly?!"
"Well, you gave it up for yourself! I simply followed your gaze, figuring that you'd eventually look towards what you were spying. And unless you just enjoy staring at my chest, I figured it'd have to be the buttons!"
Jane blushes at being caught looking at Maura's chest but quickly moves forward with the game. "Okay, okay. Your turn,"
"Okay. I spy with my little eye…something," Maura briefly looks around before her eyes meet Jane's. "Something beautiful," Maura says softly.
Jane raises an eyebrow, then smiles. "Me too, Maur. Me too."
Both women smile, before a brief and slightly awkward silence ensues. Jane breaks the silence by saying, "Do you wanna play truth or dare? It'll be fun. Like a junior high sleepover!" Jane laughs, slightly nervous.
"I've never played before! May I go first?"
"Go for it,"
"Okay. Truth or dare?"
"Truth," Jane answers.
"Okay. Hmmm. What is your favorite vegetable?"
Jane's expression immediately goes from blank to hysterical. "Vegetable, Maura? Really? You're supposed to ask personal questions! Like you know, 'how old were you when you lost your v card". Not vegetables!" Jane can't help but laugh.
"Oh! Well that's silly! So personal!"
"That's the point of the game, Maur," laughs Jane.
"Okay. Then. How old were you?"
"Eighteen. On my prom night, so cliché right?" Jane laughs.
"Just a little," Maura smiles. "I was eighteen, too, actually. It's one of the most common ages in which young women first engage in inter-"
"OKAY, my turn!" Jane interrupts. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth,"
"Have you ever had feelings for someone who you know you shouldn't?"
"Yes, actually I have," Maura blushes.
"Who?" Jane asks, suddenly interested.
"That's two questions! You'll have to wait!" Maura giggles. "Okay, Jane. Truth or dare?"
"Dare,"
"Okay. Jane. I dare you to tell me why you've been looking at me like that lately,"
"Hey! You can't manipulate a dare into a truth! That's abusing your dare powers!" Jane laughs nervously.
"Just do it!" Maura laughs, and gives Jane a playful pinch on her knee.
"Looking at you like what?"
"Like there's something you want to tell me,"
"Okay. Because there is," Jane answers, and makes a popping sound with her mouth afterwards.
"What would you like to tell me, Jane?"
"Ah ah ah! Wait your turn!" Jane smiles and looks Maura in the eyes. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare," Maura answers and shifts nervously in her position.
"I dare you to close your eyes until your next turn,"
"That seems kind of like a silly dare, no? Hm. I guess I can do that," Maura closes her eyes and lets a playful smile find its way to her lips.
"Okay, Jane. Tru-" Maura begins her sentence but is cut off by the feeling of Jane's cold hand on her cheek, thumb caressing her bottom lip. Maura bites said lip, and smiles, but keeps her eyes closed.
"Dare," Jane says, her voice low and raspy.
"Jane. Please. Just do it." Maura says in a barely audible tone.
In a matter of a millisecond, Maura feels Jane's breath on her lips. So close. So, so close.
"This is why I've been looking at you like I have," Jane husks. "This is what I've wanted to tell you for so long, but I've been so afraid. This is it, Maur,"
Jane then closes the little distance that is left between her and the M.E.'s in a soft, slow kiss. It's short, but just long enough.
"Wow," both women say in unison.
"I-I can't believe this is finally happening. Am…am I dreaming?" Maura asks.
"If you are, that'd be pretty weird because then I'm having the same dream!" Jane laughs, and Maura laughs too.
"I get it now," Maura says, her voice a little higher than normal.
"What do you get?" Jane asks, placing her hand on the back of Maura's neck.
"What people say about their last first kisses," Maura says, smiling. She takes Janes hands in her own and begins lightly rubbing her thumbs over the tiny scars. "How you know right away, that this is it. Fireworks go off in your head; your favorite love song starts to make sense. You just know that you've finally got it right," Maura says, her gaze never leaving Jane's eyes.
"Oh, Maur," Jane says, not even trying to hide the tears that have begun to threaten to fall. "I guess it's true about what they say, huh? That what you're searching for could very well be right in front of you the whole time," Jane takes Maura's face in her hands and pulls her in for another, equally amazing kiss while the tears slide down her cheeks.
Neither woman need to confess their feelings for the other with an 'I love you'; it simply isn't necessary. The kiss shows it all. They just know.
Both women smile into the kiss, as if this is what they've been waiting all their lives for. So many failed relationships, one night stands and desperate searches for what they call the one. It all ends here, tonight. The search is over. They've found what they didn't know what they have been searching for their whole lives.
End.
Note: I do have another one-shot as a sequel for this, if I get positive feedback and you guys want more then I'll be sure to finalize it and put it up! (So no, they do not freeze to death!)