Not Just Another Day Trip (To Paradise)
A/N I'm not sure what happened, but I couldn't sign in with my regular writing name (Pantherwoman). Yes I tried re-setting it several times. Finally gave up and just signed in with my Twitter name.
For those of you who left comments on my other stories. Thank you! I wanted to respond to them, but couldn't access my account. So, here we go anew.
This story begins two days after Frank asked Angela to sign the annulment papers. Needless to say, Jane isn't too happy with Pa Rizzoli right now. She decides to confront him, but a little thing called "life" gets in the way. I hope you will take this journey with me. And I truly hope you enjoy the ride.
Maura nervously chewed her bottom lip destroying the most recent application of Purrfect Pink Kashmere lip color. At this rate she would finish the $100 tube by midnight. She drew in a deep bracing breath, it was time to anger the Rizzoli, Detective Jane Rizzoli of the Boston Homicide Department. Maura took another deep breath. Her words couldn't climb past a huge lump somewhere between her mouth and her heart.
What in hell was Maura doing? At the rate she was heaving and blowing she would be unconscious in less than a minute. They had gotten a late start as it was, and she didn't have time for an episode of Hyperventilation with Jane and Maura. Plus she didn't have a paper bag in the car. "If you have something to say Maura, just spit it out for piss sakes." Jane admonished as gently as she could. It was a mammoth task resisting the urge to yell, but she did it. It wasn't Maura's fault they were driving to the middle of BFE.
The soft spoken encouragement was the last thing Maura had expected. She let out the breath in a harsh whoosh and managed to take a hard bite out of her tender lower lip. "Jane, do you really think we should be making this trip?" There it was out. She said it.
Without taking her eyes off the road, Jane answered. "No Maura. I just really felt like waking up at the butt crack of dawn and taking a six hour drive out into the boondocks for the hell of it."
Anger, yes; but no yelling. "I know your entire family is reeling from this …awful news, but confronting him isn't going to change his mind."
"I don't give a damn about changing his mind. He has a lot to answer for, he owes us all one hell of an explanation. Not to mention he shattered Ma into a gazillion pieces and just walked away without a word. I understand couples breaking up and getting a divorce, but you don't eviscerate your ex just because you fucking feel like it. He may be a chicken shit when it comes to Ma, Frankie and Tommy. But he isn't going to get away with this crap around me. How dare he parade his new young floozy in her face? How dare he ask her for an annulment? But most of all, how dare he make up lies about her and tell his outrageous stories to anyone in the old neighborhood willing to listen? Women she considered friends are calling her up telling her all kinds of lies they heard him tell on her. Maura, you know Ma. Family is her reason for living. She never deserted or neglected her family, she never did anything without thinking about us first. He's even telling people that Tommy got into trouble because she wasn't the proper Mother he needed. Can you believe that shit? Tommy made his own choices. His troubles had nothing to do with Ma."
Maura saw the steam rising from her friend's entire body. She needed to get Jane's mind off the return of Pa Rizzoli. To say his return had stunned the entire family was a gross understatement. She knew Jane was justified in feeling angry on behalf of herself and her entire family. And yes, Tommy had made his own life choices and mistakes. Angela Rizzoli was not to blame for her youngest son's bouts of mischief and law breaking. Frank Rizzoli coming back to Boston had upset a lot of dynamics. Not only that, it had severely changed the relationship she and Jane had been enjoying. "Anyone with any knowledge of Angela Rizzoli knows those are just malicious lies in a desperate bid for an annulment."
"We'll see how desperately he wants his precious annulment when I stick my foot up his ass and it comes out his mouth!" Jane snapped making a sharp left turn. "I need a soda,"
The threat of physical violence stunned and saddened Maura. There was a change happening in Jane; one she didn't want to witness. "I could use something too."
Jane slowed and pulled into the parking lot of a small convenience store. She kept her hands on the steering wheel until her emotions were under control. She knew Maura was worried about her. She also knew Maura worried about their relationship. Jane wanted to pull Maura close and tell her everything was going to be all right. That they were all right. But a small part of her kept asking "Was everything really all right?" She still loved Maura with all her heart and would give up her life in a second for the gorgeous blonde. But the shit with Pa was making her question everything she had ever known or thought she had known about relationships. Jane took a slow deep breath and released the wheel.
"I'll meet you inside." Maura said seconds before trembling hands tangled in her hair dragging her forward before she could leave the car.
"I want…" Jane couldn't finish the sentence. She angled Maura's chin allowing her lips easy access to the recently chewed pink flesh. Jane heard a soft moan but couldn't tell if it came from her or Maura. She just wanted to stay in this moment for the rest of eternity.
"Me too!" Maura screamed silently. "I want you too." She held onto the slender yet strong forearms pushing her into the plush Mercedes seat. God how she had missed the touch, taste and feel of Jane Rizzoli.
Much too soon Jane was releasing her and pulling away. "I'm sorry, Maura. I didn't mean to attack you like a …"
Maura slipped a long dark lock of hair behind Jane's ear. She gave a saucy wink and assured. "It's OK. I like it rough."
Laughter built from her toes and bubbled happily through her entire body. Thankfully her shitty moods swings and bad manners hadn't chased her Maura away. Jane captured Maura's palm and planted a warm kiss in the center. "Me too." Jane winked and let go of Maura's hand to open the door.
A pair of middle aged construction workers were standing next to a white pick up staring. "It's 2012 and you're in MA, get used to it or move to freaking TX!" Jane yelled making sure the badge on her belt was clearly visible.
"Jane, please." Maura hissed through clenched teeth. She liked it rough in the bedroom, not in the middle of cracked asphalt pavement brawling with a pair of homophobic cavemen.
"Please what?" Jane exploded. "You sit and chew your lips off wondering if we're over, then when I try to show you we aren't you don't want… Just fucking forget it. I knew this was a bad idea asking you to come with me today. I'm going to call Frankie to come bring my car, then the two of you can ride back to Boston in civilized conversation while I go kick some sense into Frank Rizzoli's ass."
Maura watched Jane stomp into the store. She rubbed her forehead then turned to the still staring men. "Show's over boys, run along." She grabbed her purse and made her way to the unisex restroom tears stinging her eyes.
"Frankie, Tommy lunch is getting cold. Will one of you go into the garage and tell Janie to come wash up." Angela Rizzoli set the last plate in place on it's pristine mat and allowed a small smile to touch her eyes. She was the loving Mother to three wonderful children, she had a job she loved and was good at doing, she lived in a beautiful guest house with an amazing young woman…. She let the thought slide away. She wasn't quite ready to make that connection yet. Baby steps. All would work out in good time.
The two brothers looked from each other to their waiting mother. Tommy gave a small nod and took a step toward his Mother. "Ma, Janie isn't in the garage."
A frown creased Angela's brow as she straightened the silverware near her anxious fingers. "Did she get called in to work? I didn't hear the phone."
"No Ma. She didn't get called to work. She went over to Maura's this morning. They were going to…"
"Take a drive out into the country." Tommy finished. He felt as guilty as his brother that Jane was going to confront their Father. It should have been him and Frankie, not Jane.
For a long minute Mama Rizzoli stood looking at her sons. She gave a tired shrug and sank into a chair. "I know this is hard on you kids too." She said tears starting to fall.
Both Frankie and Tommy threw their arms around her shaking shoulders. "Ma. none of this is your fault." Frankie assured rubbing small circles on her back. "Let's just eat this beautiful lunch and then we'll go out for dessert."
"My treat." Tommy offered. He had just been hired to deliver flowers for a local florist. Maybe he could get them to go for ice cream at Vinnie's instead of a higher priced treat at one of the sit down joints in town.
Angela pulled out of the warm embraces of her sons and dried her face. They really were great boys. "That sounds like a great idea. Frankie will you cut the lasagna while Tommy opens the wine?" Her husband might have turned out to be a son of a bitch but her sons were good boys!
"Hey Old Timer, did you hear that last call?" Detective Barry Frost asked as he plopped into the chair opposite Vince Korsak's desk.
"Old Timer? I can still kick your scrawny butt any day of the week, you young pup. Of course, I heard it. I aint deaf." Korsak mock growled. He really liked the young detective, but he loved giving him a hard time. It had taken a long time for him to accept that Jane preferred Frost as a partner to him, but he had finally made peace with it and the three of them worked well together.
"Jane is going to be sorry she missed this party." Frost predicted slipping his gun in it's holster and his badge on his belt.
"I just pray we don't have to call in favors to get her out of lock up. If Frank Rizzoli gives her a reason she will kick his butt into the middle of next year.
Frost handily caught the keys tossed to him and gave another blinding smile. "That's one fight I would like to see." He unlocked the unmarked and slid into the seat. Once Korsak was buckled into the passenger seat, he backed out of the garage and headed for the scene of a quadruple murder. "If my Father told my Mother he wanted an annulment after thirty some years of marriage, she would make that Lorena chick look like a saint.
"That's a bad business, I tell ya. No real man would ever throw away his family for a young piece of tail. Makes me sick." Korsak spat.
"Listen man, I say this with all sincerity. We all thought you and Mama R were going to hook up…I mean start dating." If his skin had been just a shade lighter, Frost would have turned red. As it was he became a mottled off-purple.
Korsak decided not to bust the kids balls. He knew no disrespect was intended. "We did go on a couple of dates. Angela is an amazing woman, but between us we got enough baggage to fill an entire 747 cargo area. But if she needs me, I'm there."
"So you did go out. Does Jane know?" Frost asked reaching for the radio to verify the address.
"No and she doesn't need to. Understand?"
Frost looked at the icy grey eyes glaring at him and decided to be smart and not a smart ass. "Totally agree. Totally." Jane Rizzoli would go ballistic if she thought someone was taking advantage of her Mother. Even an ex-partner.
Maura completed drying her hands under the deafening automatic dryer and then washed her face in the small bathroom deciding she too needed a drink. She took a long look at the haunted face of the woman staring back at her. Jane was right, of course. She had been wondering if they were over. With every fiber of her being she had been searching for some sign from Jane that they were OK. That nothing between them had changed. Then the stupid stares from a couple of disapproving men had sent her scurrying into the shadows away from her… lover, partner, friend-with-amazing-benefits? No wonder confused teens committed suicide when confronted with questions of self and sexuality. She was a well educated, professional with an excellent reputation in the professional community as well as the community at large and yet she struggled with … everything just like any other confused person in a new and scary situation. Welcome to the world Dr. Maura Isles of Beacon Hill. Yes, she was in need of a drink. A stiff cocktail would be preferable, but a soft drink would have to do until she got home. She stepped out of the bathroom into a scene from hell, or some low budget horror movie.
"Hands in the air Bitch!" snarled a huge bald man holding a kitchen cleaver dripping with blood, hair and what looked like brain matter.
A scream of pure terror ripped from Maura as she took in the full scene before her. The teen cashier lay slumped over the register blood pouring from a head wound. A petite brunette lay in a pool of blood at the base of the beer cooler. Two other teens were bound and gagged and held at gunpoint by three men in greasy coveralls. But it was the other two occupants holding her gaze and trapping the breath in her burning lungs. Her beloved Jane had been attacked and now stood with her hands in the air, blood pouring from her nose and mouth glaring at a giant who held her own service revolver as well a .44 Magnum pointed at her heart.
A/N Please take a minute to let me know what you think! I appreciate all comments/reviews.