A/N: This little story is for that anon from nearly a week ago on tumblr who wanted me to write them meeting at the kindergarten age. I did not forget about your request! I hope it's to your liking. As for the rest of you, I'm trying out shorter stories, so please be kind! It's without a doubt AU, but then again it vaguely resembles their rocky first meeting on the show. Might even be a little OOC, but we'll see.
Inspired by the antics of my nieces and their friends. I spend a lot of time with kids, so I was wondering if I could capture Jane and Maura at that age. It could be spot on or a flop. Time will tell.
Also, it's obnoxiously long for a single-chapter fic (over 8,000 words... *pained laughter*), but I couldn't find a breaking point to make it into two chapters. But what can you do, you know? I'm not too bothered by it, but I hope it's not too difficult to read.
Jane Rizzoli no longer wanted her puppy. She wanted a puppy, just not this one. At first, Jo Friday seemed like a great idea in the six-year-old's mind, but now she wasn't so sure. The little dog was impossible. Jane had been under the impression she could teach the puppy tricks and take her for walks. This was not the case. Jo refused to do anything but yap at her own reflection in the floor-length mirror in her parents' bathroom and chew up everything in sight. And walks? Forget about it. The crazy little furball would pull and pull at the leash until she practically choked herself to death, and Jane had had quite enough of it.
"Can we take'er back, Ma?" Jane asked on a particular evening when Jo had managed to destroy yet another pair of flip-flops. Then again, there wasn't much of anything free from puppy teeth-marks. Jo trailed in after her, pink tongue hanging out, and nose high in the air with something that might have been pride.
Angela had just finished drying the last of their dinner dishes when her dirt-caked kindergartner stomped into the kitchen with the fire of all her six years in her eyes. Her mother merely chuckled to herself and shook her head at her daughter's dramatic inquisition. Just last week, Jane had begged her and Frank Sr. for the 'bestest puppy dog the world did ever see!'
"No, Janie, you just got her. Why would you want to take her back?"
Jane shot a pointed glare at the dog pawing at hem of her muddy green shorts, "'Cause she's no good."
"And why's that?"
"She... She doesn't play good, an' she eats everything!" the child huffed, about ready to start stomping her feet again.
"Well, did you try to tell her no?"
Turning swiftly on her feet, Jane faced the dog and screeched at the top of her tiny lungs, "NO!"
Jo didn't even flinch. If anything, she started to scratch at Jane's legs with more enthusiasm. Jane turned to her mother and motioned theatrically, "See? I told you!"
"Why don't you see if she needs to go outside?" Angela suggested in hopes of getting her daughter to see that Jo was only acting up because she needed to relieve herself.
Jane dragged the little dog by her collar and shoved her out the door with her foot, "Get out!" She turned back and cringed at the disapproving look on her mother's face, "What?"
"Go stand out there and make sure she does her business."
"Gross, no! You do it!"
"She's your dog. You're the one who wanted her. Not me."
"I don't want her o'more," she mumbled, already knowing the end of this argument was near.
"Now, Jane!"
"Fine!"
But it wasn't fine. She was still stuck with a stupid dog that couldn't even roll over. How was she supposed to have the best pet for show and tell if she couldn't even get a dumb dog to do an easy trick? She couldn't let Kate Graham win again, not with her stupid talking parrot or her Venus flytrap. They weren't even that special. All the parrot could say was 'Hello' and 'Kate is pretty.' Figures. But there was no way Jo Friday could possibly measure up. Not even to the flytrap that didn't do much of anything.
Jane stood on the back porch and glowered at the little rat, hoping a giant bird would swoop in and drag her away forever. She looked up the the sky and willed an eagle to appear. She stomped her foot three times for good measure, and threw her hands up to the sky when nothing happened.
"Go away," she mutter as Jo came bounding back to her.
Yet again, Kate Graham secured the title with her talkative bird. There were still others to go, but that bird was shoe-in. It was the third time this year Kate played the 'I'm-better-than-you-all' card, and had her father bring the red-faced parrot to school. Jane didn't even think it was all that special. The first time, sure, but after three times? Not even close. No one else in her whole class shook their heads in disgust when Kate pulled the bird from the cage. No, they all watched in wonder... in awe of that smelly bird.
"Kate is pretty! Kate is pretty!" the parrot squawked, spouting out the truth, much to Jane's annoyance. Even Jane had to admit to herself that Kate Graham was pretty. No matter how much she didn't like her, Kate would always be... well, Kate, and Jane would always be just another one of the boys.
Satisfied with the bird's performance, Kate passed it off to her father and shooed them both out the door so she could take her bow. All the kids around her burst out clapping, and when Jane looked down she gaped in horror at her own hands applauding along. Angry with herself, she shoved her hands beneath her thighs, hoping to numb them as punishment for the betrayal.
"What about you, Jane?" Miss Devon asked, quieting the group. Jane sighed and looked though the window of the door leading out to the hall. Sure enough, her mother was waiting with a rather excited Jo Friday in her arms.
"I guess so." Jane glanced back at her teacher, a woman who reminded her very much of the parents from the cartoons she watched on the weekends until they made a milkshake out of her mind. Miss Devon really was clueless. She didn't even care that Kate had brought the same thing three times! That was against the rules!
"Well, why don't you show us. You always bring such amazing things."
"Not this time," Jane mumbled under her breath as she got up to meet her mother in the hall.
"Hi, Janie. I think Jo's been pretty good today. Maybe she'll do a trick for you," her mother beamed once the door swung shut behind her daughter. Angela knew the last thing Jane wanted was to bring Jo to school today, but she thought it would be a good chance for her daughter to see that she could learn to like the little dog if she would just try a little.
"Kate's gonna win. She's gonna be the Queen of Friday again!"
"What's wrong with that?"
"I want to beat her!" Jane balled her little hand into a fist and smacked it against the bulletin board posted above her head. Jo let out an excited bark and leaped from Angela arms. She landed clumsily on the ground and resumed her usual pawing at Jane's shorts. "Leave me alone!"
"Don't be so mean, Jane! She's your dog."
Jane snatched the leash and dragged the dog into her class without so much as a 'thank you' to her mother. Angela put her hands on her hips and shook her head. She knew Jane didn't mean to be so rude, she just wanted to beat this Kate girl, and Jo would not be of any help in that. And she knew Jane was hellbent on getting rid of Jo. Angela only wished her daughter didn't care so much about winning. Was it really worth the card-stock crown?
Inside the classroom, Jane felt all eyes on either her or Jo Friday, and for once, she didn't like it. Jo sniffed around the room, straining at her leash.
"Um... This is Jo Friday. I got her last week." And that's all she said because that's all she had to say that wasn't negative.
"What kind of dog is she?" Miss Devon asked, smiling at the ball of matted fur.
"I dunno."
And then Emily Sanner, Kate's best friend, had to open up her mouth and ask the one question Jane was trying to avoid: "Does she do any tricks?"
"No. She's not so good."
"That's dumb," Emily said, crossing her arms. "My puppy's a purebrain. She's smart, and your dog just runs in circles."
"You mean purebred, Emily," Miss Devon corrected kindly. "I'm sure Jane's dog is wonderful even without knowing any tricks."
"She does know a trick," Jane said through clenched teeth. Only she was allowed to call her dog dumb. Emily doesn't know what she's talking about, she thought to herself.
"Wonderful," Miss Devon chimed. "Let's see it."
Jane wasn't exactly sure why she'd said it. Jo didn't know any tricks. The only thing the little rat knew how to do was make her angry, and Jane was pretty sure that didn't count. She knelt beside the overstimulated puppy and patted her on the head twice.
"Don't be a bad dog," she whispered knowing it wouldn't work anyway. "Sit!"
Jo sniffed her knee and let out a sharp bark.
"Sit, Jo!"
More happy barks. The entire back half of the little dog was wagging along with her tail as she probably thought Jane was praising her for just existing. Jane's heart sank as laughter sprouted from her fellow classmates. But Jo relished in their apparent happiness. The dog jumped through the air and chased her own tail, earning more laughter.
"Wow, Jane, your dog is really dumb!" one of the boys in the back shouted, enunciating the silent 'b' in 'dumb.'
"Hey! She's not... She's not stupid. She's jus' a puppy!"
"So?"
Jane could feel a lump forming in her throat and the painful pressure behind her eyes. She scooped up the excited dog into her arms and took her back to her mother, refusing to cry in front of all her classmates. She shoved Jo into her mother's arms and shook the silly sadness from herself.
"Take her home, Ma. They don't like her."
A dentist appointment pulled Jane from school the following Show and Tell Friday. She'd make it back in time to share something, but this week she'd have nothing to show for herself. Her mother had brought Jo along for the ride, but Jane was not amused at the dog's urgent need to use her lap as a step ladder to see out the window. Rough nails dug into the tops of her thighs, and Jane wanted nothing more than to toss Jo into the open window of the car traveling beside them.
The little dog seemed to smile at Jane, teeth and all before barking three times right in the child's face. And for some reason, that was the last straw.
"I don't want her, Ma."
"What happened?"
"I gave'er a chance jus' like you said, but she's no good Ma. Not for me." Jane said, shoving the little dog onto the seat beside her. That only earned her a few licks on the cheek. Jane squirmed in her booster seat to get away from the affectionate creature.
"If that's how you really feel, Janie, I guess we can take her back after school."
"I think someone else will like her more."
"You might be right, but I still think you should give her another chance. She likes you a lot, Jane. Look at her." Angela motioned down to the yapping dog at Jane's feet. Her whole body was wiggling with curiosity and joy at being in a new place.
"I don't want her," Jane repeated.
An hour and a set of fresh, fluoride-covered white teeth later, Jane and her mother were famished. But the coating on Jane's teeth pushed them back an extra half hour. Lunch would have to wait. Angela suggested the park, and that had Jane absolutely ecstatic... until Jo Friday hopped out of the car and chased her onto the jungle gym.
"Leave me alone, Jo!"
Jo's ears perked up at the sound of her name, only further animating her spastic movements. Jane ran from the dog, only to be chased.
"I'm not playing with you! Go away!"
Jo barked several times and sat her butt down in the grass. Of course, Jane had no idea what that meant, but she took it as an insult.
"You know what, Jo? Jus' go away! I don't wanna see you!" She pointed towards the gazebo filled with people enjoying their lunches in the kid-free hours of the park. "Go over there! Bother them!"
And she listened, sort of. Jane's jaw fell slack, as the little dog rocketed off in another direction towards the picnic tables, but away all the same. She could finally play on the swings without Jo nipping at her feet every time the swing dipped low to the ground.
Soon, however, swinging became dull without a little barking obstacle to evade, so she tried the monkey bars. No luck there either. She had no one to bite at her ankles to keep her going, and running freely through the grass wasn't the same without someone chasing her. The fact that she couldn't seem to entertain herself made her angry. Whether she liked it or not, Jo was her only playmate.
"Jo!" she called, spinning around and searching for the little dog. "Jo! Where'd you go?"
Over by the picnic tables, a flurry of high-pitched barks revealed Jo's location. Jane set out with new determination to get her dog back, calling out her name and slapping her hands against her legs to try to get the dog's attention.
"Where are you?" Jane called out, ducking her head to look beneath the concrete tables. "C'mon, Jo! I wanna play with you now!"
A sudden scream ripped through the air at the other end of the eating area. The sheer shrillness was enough to get Jane springing into a full-on sprint to the source. Where the grass had been trampled to death near the edge of the concrete patio, a small girl about Jane's age lie pinned to the ground beneath Jo's muddy paws. Jo barked happily in the girl's face and sat down on her stomach, panting. Taking in the craziness of the scene before her, Jane burst out laughing at the girl.
"Jo knocked you down! She's jus' a puppy an' she knocked you down!" she pointed at the girl and threw her head back laughing.
The smaller girl's face scrunched up and she let out a wail, "Mother!"
That got Jane's attention. She lifted Jo off the girl and helped her to her feet. "No, no, no. Don't tell your ma on me!" She brushed the dirt and puppy prints off of the girl's yellow dress, wondering why on earth she was dressed for church on a Friday.
"Stop it!" the girl said, pushing Jane's hands away, "You're making it worse!"
"Sorry... Please don't tell your ma on me," Jane pleaded. She didn't want to get into anymore trouble because of Jo, none that could be avoided at least.
"I... Fine." She glanced down at her muddied dress and frowned, "Was that your dog?"
"Yeah. Not anymore, though."
"Why?" she asked, her petulant expression giving way to curiosity.
Jane opened her mouth to tell her why, but no words seemed to come out. Instead, she found herself zeroing in on the perfect golden curls falling around the girl's shoulders. In the six-year-old's mind, Kate Graham didn't even come close. Even covered in dirt, this little girl was pretty.
"Why is she not your dog anymore?"
Jane was struck by the way the words come out of the girl's mouth. She looked like a little kid and the sound for her voice was like a kid, but her words and the way she spoke them reminded Jane of the way adults spoke to each other. "Um... Because she's no good."
"That's not a very good reason."
She looked back up to the girl's face, "She can't even do tricks!"
"That doesn't matter. Not all dogs need to know tricks."
Jane crossed her arms, "What do you know anyway? You let'er knock you down."
"Mother!" the girl called out again, her face crumpling. She stormed away from Jane, crying out for her mother. Panic started to rise within Jane, manifesting itself within her limbs as she chased the girl down. Something told her the mother of this particular girl wouldn't take kindly to her actions.
"Wait," Jane begged, grabbing onto the girl's small wrist.
"Let go of me! Mother!"
"Don't be such a tattletale!"
"I am not a tattletale!"
"Yeah, you are! Mother! Mother! Mother!" Jane mocked in a high-pitched voice.
"Stop it! You're... You're mean!" the little girl was growing red in the face with something like anger, but Jane couldn't take her seriously. She just looked silly.
"Well, you're a baby!"
Jo Friday chased after them as Jane tried to stop the girl from running to her mother. Unaware of their argument, the puppy let out excited barks as she ran back and forth through their legs. She seemed to think the three of them were having the time of their lives.
Jane stopped the girl once more and tried to talk over Jo's yipping. "You're not gonna tell are you? 'Cause that's stupid. I didn't even do anything."
The smaller girl covered her face with her hands, "You're being mean to me!"
Jane couldn't hear her over Jo's incessant barking, "Would you shut up, Jo?" But that only excited the dog further. She jumped up on the other girl's dress and started pawing at the material. Jane tried to pry the dog away again, but Jo bit her hand when she got too close.
"Ouch! Bad dog!"
Laughter bubbled from the smaller girl despite the worsened state of her dress, "Hah! She bit you!"
"Hey! Don't laugh! What if I get rabies?"
"Oh, don't be silly. She shows no signs of aggression or hypersalivation."
Jane blinked, stunned at the big words that came from the blond girl's mouth. "What?"
Jo started to bark again, and that seemed to be the last straw. "Stop," she girl commanded firmly. And just like that, Jo shut up.
Jane stared in disbelief at the quieted dog. Jo had never once listening to a single word she'd ever said. So why on earth was she listening now? "How? Are you magic or something?"
"Leave me alone," she girl said, pulling at Jane's grip on her wrist. "I want my mother... And there's no such thing as magic."
"Jus' wait a second. How did you do that? How did you get her to shut up?"
The girl sighed and stopped resisting, "I said, 'Stop.'"
"Yeah, I know that. But how did you get her to listen?"
"I didn't do anything."
"Tell her something else."
"Um... Sit?"
The little dog lowered her back end onto the grass and sat as instructed. She started to pant loudly, but it was a thousand times better than the barking. The two girls looked at each other, a truce thin as butterfly wings forming between them.
"Lie down," Jane tried, but the puppy only barked at her. The other girl gave the same command, and Jo obeyed. An idea popped into Jane's head right then. If Jo knew tricks, she could beat Kate any day, but there was a problem. Jo seemed to only listen to the other girl.
"What's your name?" Jane asked.
She hesitated, "Um... My name is Maura."
"Maura? Okay. I'm Jane."
"Nice to meet you, Jane. Now please let go of me."
Jane released her wrist, and the girl started back to where ever her mother was waiting for her. Jane could feel her only chance to beat Kate slipping away with each step Maura took away from her.
"Maura, wait!" Jane said, jogging to her side.
"What now?"
"Will you come with me so I can beat Kate Graham?"
Maura furrowed her brow, "I don't know what you're talking about, Jane."
"Will you help me win show and tell?"
Maura shook her head, "You called me a baby, and you didn't even say you're sorry!"
"I'm sorry."
"For?"
Jane rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry for calling you a baby and laughing at you."
"I forgive you, but just so you know. I'm not a baby." It seemed more like she was trying to convince herself rather than Jane. "What do you need help with?"
Jane explained to her job at hand. She told her all about Kate and her talking parrot, and how she'd won three times with it. Maura also found it unfair that Kate had been able to bring the same thing three times in a row. They hatched their plan, and made certain that Jo knew all the tricks as Maura commanded them. They were so absorbed in their planning, they didn't realize their mothers had found each other at the picnic tables.
"I've never seen you daughter around here before, you must not be from this area," Angela remarked, smiling at the two girls playing in the grass with Jo Friday. Seeing Jane playing with Jo and another little girl was truly an amazing sight. Usually, Jane's rough ways of playing put other little girls off. More often than not, Angela found her daughter playing sports with the neighborhood boys. She never once thought Jane would find a playmate in another girl, but the impossibility was occurring right in front of her.
"Yes. Maura goes to a private school in the city."
"They seem to be getting along pretty well."
"It's a relief seeing her play with your daughter... She doesn't seem to take well to others."
"What do you mean?"
Constance sighed and resisted the urge to run a hand through her hair. She was expected to return to work within the hour, and she couldn't afford to have a single hair out of place. But Angela's genuine curiosity caught her off-guard. It took her several seconds to formulate an answer.
"I've received numerous complaints from her school that she doesn't play well with others. That's why I always take her to the park while the other kids are still in school."
"From the looks of it earlier, I thought there were going to be some tears. Sometimes my Janie's a bit rough."
Constance glanced over at the pair huddled around the small dog, "Your Jane must be something if she could handle Maura's whining. Every little thing that happens has her yelling for me. I swear, I get a dozen calls a day from teachers saying Maura's screaming for me again."
"She'll grow out of it. They always do."
For some reason, Constance felt she could believe Angela. There was something about those kind eyes that demanded trust. "I hope so."
"You know, Janie and I were about to grab some lunch. Do you and Maura want to come along?"
Constance smiled gratefully at Angela. The parents at Maura's school tended to avert their eyes whenever she and Maura entered a room. To them her daughter was purely problematic. A disturbance in the maturity and high-esteem of the school. It nearly broke her heart as she had just recently learned of Maura's difficulties at school. Before, her nanny had handled all the calls from the school, but now Constance was back in Boston for good. She had no idea her daughter had such issues.
"Thank you, Angela, but I have to return to work. Actually, I need to call Maura's nanny to take her for the rest of the day."
Her words tugged at Angela's heart. Surely the little girl wouldn't want to spend the remainder of the day alone with her nanny. Not when Angela and Jane had the evening free. An idea flashed into her mind, and before her filter could come into play, her words tumbled out. "I could watch her for you, if you'd like... Something tells me they wouldn't be too happy if you separated them now."
"Would you really?"
The shock on Constance's face was not lost to Angela. The woman beside her seemed more grateful than anything, prompting Angela to wonder why her simple act of kindness had gone so far.
"Of course. It's not every day Jane tones herself down enough to make a friend."
Buzzing with excitement, Maura and Jane made their way over to their mothers, ready to ask if Maura could accompany Jane back to school. They had their entire annihilation planned out to a science. Thanks to Maura's superior trick dictation and Jane's enthusiasm, they'd come up with a routine that would leave Kate and her show and tell object in the dust.
"Maura, darling, what happened to your dress?" Constance asked as her daughter approached.
"Jane's dog, but it's okay, Mother. It's okay now."
"If you say so."
Angela examined the dirt covering the front of Maura's dress, "That should come right out. It's just a little mud. A normal wash should handle it."
"Thank you," Constance said, unsure of how to deal with Angela Rizzoi's kindness. She'd never been in a situation where anyone volunteered to do anything for her daughter, let alone take her for an entire afternoon without asking for anything in return. Perhaps she was surrounding herself and her daughter will all the wrong people.
She crouched down to be at eye-level with her daughter, "Mother has to go back to work now. Do you want to stay with Jane and Angela?"
Maura sneaked a peek up at Jane's mother and shied away a bit, "I don't know."
"Do you want me to call your nanny? Would you like to go with her instead?"
A small shake of her head discarded all notions of calling up her nanny. "N-no."
"Will you be brave for me, darling? Will you be my big girl and stay with Jane?"
The bashful five-year-old latched herself onto her mother, afraid of something but not entirely sure of what. She wanted to play with Jane some more, but not without her mother close by. But realizing that her only chance at making a friend was slipping through her fingertips, she let go of her mother and tried her best to resist the pressure building behind her eyes.
"I will try, Mother," she whispered.
"Good. Just have Angela call me if you need anything, okay, darling?"
"Yes, Mother. I will."
She clung to her mother, reluctant to say goodbye just yet. Jane waited patiently as Jo clawed at her shorts like always. But after playing with Jo a little, it didn't bother her so much anymore. Maybe she wan't such a bad dog. Jo had listened to every word Maura said as if they spoke the same language. Though Jane wasn't paying the little dog any mind as she gaped in awe at Maura's mother. In the six-year-old's mind, she was seeing a queen. Her fancy clothes and immaculate hair had Jane in wonder. Maura and her mother were fascinating oddities in Jane's world, and she couldn't take her eyes off of either of them.
Constance got to her feet and smiled at Jane, "You keep a sharp eye out for my daughter, okay?"
With a determined nod, Jane assured Constance the job was covered. "Yes, ma'am."
With one final wave, Constance left the park. Right away, Jane could tell Maura was on the verge of tears, but she wasn't quite sure what to do. Standing at arm's length, Jane patted her shoulder twice hoping it would get her to smile. The distraught child simply looked at Jane's hand then burst into tears. Jane retracted her hand and glanced up at her mother for help.
"What did you do?" Angela asked. Head tossed back to the sky, Maura's face was contorted with her wailing. It was more screaming than actual crying.
"Nothing!"
"Say you're sorry, Jane!"
"I didn't do anything, she jus' started crying."
Angela then understood exactly what Constance was talking about earlier. Little Maura had more than a few issues being without her mother. In time, Angela knew Maura would be able to grow out of this. It was simply a phase some kids go through whether their parents cause it or not. Constance seemed like a nice lady, and it was apparent to Angela that she was trying. Though sometimes some help is nice. Lord knows she needed it with Jane.
Uncertain of the right thing to do, Jane stepped in and wrapped her arms around the crying girl. "It's okay. Your mother will be back. You don't have'ta cry."
Maura sobbed against Jane, unable to get a hold of herself. She didn't want to cry, but her body wasn't letting her stop. "I... I'm not a.. b-baby."
"I don't think you're a baby, and maybe if you stop crying right now, my ma will buy us ice cream."
Maura sniffled one last time and wiped her tears on Jane's shirt, something Jane did not appreciate. She held her tongue , however, seeing as it didn't take much to make the smaller girl cry. Jane wondered what kind of weak school she went to. A girl like Maura wouldn't last five minutes at her school. She'd start bawling in five seconds flat. Maybe taking her for show and tell wasn't such a good idea.
"I'm sorry, Jane. I promise I won't cry at your show and tell."
Jane wasn't sure if she believed her, but all the same, she wanted to win. Maura was her only chance, plus, she was starting to like her a little bit. Except for the crying, Jane could see them playing together again. There was something about the little blond girl that had Jane not quite ready to say goodbye. The three of them trailed by Jo Friday walked back to the car, Maura clinging to Jane's arm as they approached Angela's Subaru. After a little fuss, Angela managed to buckle Maura into Jane's booster seat, leaving Jane without her car seat. Not that Jane minded being out of that infernal contraption.
Angela checked her watch, "I don't think we'll have enough time for lunch if you want to make it back in time for show and tell. I'll bring something when I pick you up, Janie."
"For me, too," Maura said as she patted her lap for Jo to jump up. The puppy obliged, happy to be welcomed in the child's arms. Jane smiled to herself remembering that only a few minutes ago, she was screaming because Jo had tackled her. Now they seemed to be the best of friends.
"She's gonna help me with my show and tell, Ma. Jo listens to her."
"So I take it we're not taking Jo back to the shelter after school today."
Jane shook her head, "I guess not. She still doesn't listen to me, but at leas' she listens to someone."
Angela smiled at Jane, happy that her daughter had finally started to accept Jo. She could credit some of that to the fussy blond girl hugging the puppy in the seat behind her. All it took was a little fun, and Jane had changed her mind almost completely. Though the small girl had a finicky way about her, Angela saw the way Jane already cared for her. She could see the faint traces and beginnings of a possible friendship between the girls. But only time would tell. She wouldn't mind getting to know Maura's parents in the long run, but for the time being, she just had to keep Maura happy for the afternoon. As high maintenance as she seemed, Maura had been pretty good so far. Angela only hoped she'd be able to visit Jane's school without incident.
With Jo's leash in one hand, and Maura's hand in the other, Jane walked with purpose towards Room 112. Today was the day she'd finally take the crown from Kate. No talking parrot or whatever else Kate might come up with could beat Jo and Maura. This time they were the shoe-in. Kate Graham was old news.
Jane tugged at Maura's hand to get her to keep going, but the little blond kept stopping every few feet to look at the art projects pinned to the walls. It seemed to Jane that she'd have to look at each and every one before they could move on.
"Which one is yours, Jane?" she'd ask at each set of class art.
"I'm not in that class," Jane would answer each and every time.
Maura picked at her apple-shaped visitor sticker before pulling it off completely, "Do I have to wear this?"
"If you take it off the cops will come."
Maura's eyes widened in horror, "They will? I don't want to go to jail, Jane!"
Jane smacked her forehead at her own stupidity. Maura was one again on the verge of tears, a common occurrence, apparently. "No, I was jus' kidding." Jane took the sticker from Maura, smoothed it back onto her still-muddy yellow dress, and whispered very quietly in the scared girl's ear, "You're okay. Please don't cry again."
Maura nodded, but then glanced down at her dress again, "But my dress is dirty, Jane!"
"You still look pretty."
"What if they laugh at me?"
"Then I'll pop 'em in the mouth 'cause we're here to win."
"Please don't hit anyone, Jane."
When they finally reached Room 112, Jane quickly pointed out her own cotton ball cloud before Maura could ask her question. Maura took her time studying the globs of cotton and glue as if trying to find a deeper meaning within the crayoned outline. Jane waited patiently for Maura to finish, but after about two minutes, she gave up and pulled her and Jo into the classroom. Jo yapped, disliking the sudden movement.
Miss Devon stopped mid-sentence and clasped her hands together at the sight of her missing pupil, "Oh, there you are, Jane and little Jo Friday again and... Who's your friend?"
"This is Maura. She's helping me with my show and tell today."
Maura found herself smiling at her shoes at the way Jane proudly introduced her to her fellow classmates. She could feel their eyes on her, but to her surprise, they all remained silent. She still clung to Jane's arm, halfway hiding herself behind the taller girl. She'd never seen so many students in one room before, and especially not that many boys. All her life she'd gone to all-girls schools, but it didn't bother her much. Now they only seemed to terrify her more.
Jane brought Maura to her seat and pulled up another chair for herself. They were going in order and there were still a few other classmates before they were up. It was usually the same thing in Jane's mind- a few stuffed animals, some baseball cards, or model planes- but she never grew tired of the things her classmates shared. She liked to see what her classmates liked to have around whether it be their paper clip collection of a rare coin from Rome, Jane was always interested. Except, of course, when it came to anything and everything Kate Graham brought.
This time Kate had opted for her Venus flytrap, but Jane only shook her head, knowing that it wouldn't measure up. Only a few of the boys seemed interested in the plant as she had brought it before nearly a half dozen times.
"You know they don't really have brains. They don't consciously know what they're doing. It's the sensitive fibers around the trap that trigger it," Maura explained to Jane as the now disinterested boys took their seats.
"What does that mean?"
"It means if a bug touches the little pokey things around their 'mouths,' it'll spring shut," Maura explained, excited to teach Jane something new.
Jane tapped on Maura's head with two fingers, "You gotta smart brain in there."
Maura reveled in Jane's praise, something she'd never received from her own classmates. They never listened to a word she said. Instead they called her names ranging from 'nerd' to even more personal ones such as 'Maura-the-bore-a.' The fact that they couldn't find a proper rhyming word did nothing to take the sting from their words. But Jane was different, an oddity even. A special friend meant only for her.
"I'm sorry I called you mean."
"S'okay. You didn't mean it. You were jus' mad."
"I won't be mad again, I promise."
"Everybody gets mad sometimes. Jus' as long as you say you're sorry so the other person knows you're still friends."
Maura took in Jane's words, focusing on one key word: friends. She'd never had a friend before, and she was curious as to what being a friend truly meant.
"Are we friends?"
"I dunno. I think so," Jane said, taking her eyes off of the front of the room to look at Maura. In a way, the smaller girl reminded her of a doll. The kind she always wanted but was too afraid to ask for. She didn't want the other boys making fun of her because she played with 'girly' toys.
Hazel-green eyes, bright and full of amazement, held Jane's darker ones as if waiting for her next words. But Jane didn't have any. She found that she wanted to call her pretty again, but she'd already said that in the hallway and didn't want to sound stupid by repeating it. Despite the stretched silence, her new friend smiled widely, eyes squinting and tiny white teeth sparking in the florescents. Jane couldn't look away as she felt her own mouth forming into a smile.
"Jane? Jane? Jane, sweetheart?" Miss Devon called from the back of the room, pulling the girl from her daze.
"Huh? What?"
"It's your turn, sweetie."
"Oh," she jumped to her feet, pulling smiley-Maura along with her. Jo let out a few excited barks as they advanced to the front of the classroom. Once everyone around them quieted down, Jane unhooked Jo's leash and stepped back so Maura could take over. Only, she didn't. The little girl backed herself up against the whiteboard and started to suck in shaky breaths.
"Hey," Jane whispered, "jus' do what we practiced."
Maura nodded and smoothed the front of her dress with her hands. Crouching down to Jo's level, she scratched the little dog behind the ears. Above her, Jane was watching closely, her confidence in her friend never faltering. They were going to win, whether Kate Graham liked it or not.
"Is it going to do a trick or what?" Emily, Kate's friend, asked impatiently.
"Yes," Jane said, maddened by her rudeness. "Go on, Maura. Show 'em."
Maura took one last calming breath before getting to her feet once more. With a single finger, she pointed at the little dog, "Sit, Jo!"
Jo obeyed.
Miss Devon was the only one to clap at the simplest of tricks, but then again, the woman found joy in anything her students came up with. "How adorable! See class? She's learned since last week!"
"Big deal," Kate huffed. "Everyone's dog can sit. What'dya need her for?" she motioned to Maura, and for some reason that curled Jane's fingers into fists. She didn't like the way Kate was talking about her new friend, or the fact that Kate was talking at all. Kate got away with everything- bringing the same pet to show and tell a hundred times, talking without raising her hand, cutting in the lunch line... everything. And now she was just plain being mean for no reason at all. Jane was absolutely sick of it.
"Kate, be kind," Miss Devon said, trying to be stern with the girl. Kate merely crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair defiantly, making it clear she was not afraid of the teacher.
Jane turned back to Maura and put a hand on her shoulder, "S'okay. Keep going. Don't listen to her."
From there, Maura and Jo took off through the tricks they'd practiced, finally gaining the admiration of the other children when Maura instructed Jo to 'speak.' Happy barking filled the room, stirring the interest of the children. Jane smiled as her new friend had Jo stand on her hind legs with front paws high in the air. She could feel them all forgetting about Kate's dumb Venus flytrap, and that's all that really mattered. Or at least, that's what she thought. But now as she watched Maura play with Jo in front of her, she forgot all about winning. She just wanted to join in a play with her new friend.
Other tricks like 'roll over' and 'play dead' struck up a torrent of giggles and requests to pet the now-adored puppy. And when Maura ran out of ideas for tricks, she turned to Jane for approval. The class crowded around Jo, trying their own hands at instructing the dog, some succeeding but others with luck similar to Jane's.
"Was that good?" Maura asked, as she weaved her way from the crowd of kids.
"Yeah! That was awesome!" Jane exclaimed, going in for a high-five. But Maura didn't understand the gesture, and instead pressed her hand to Jane's, interlacing their fingers.
"Really?"
"Yeah, you should've seen Kate's face. She was so mad 'cause you guys were so good."
"We won?" Maura could feel her excitement growing at the thought of making Jane happy. The whole point of this whole 'trick business' was to beat the girl called Kate Graham
"Maybe. We have to vote first."
Miss Devon made her way to the front of the room and rose her voice slightly to capture the attention of the stimulated kindergartners. "Alright, has everyone gone that wants to go?"
Renditions of the word 'yes' filled the room. Jane took Maura and Jane back to her desk as the rest of the children returned to their seats to do the vote.
"Remember class, everyone's a winner. You all bring in the most wonderful things that are all equally as special, but one extra special student gets to take home the crown today, and now that you've all won at least once, you can pick anybody you want." Miss Devon motions to the entire class, "You could pick Jeremy and his remote-control helicopter, Kate and her plant, Ja-"
"It's a Venus flytrap!" Kate snaps.
Miss Devon presses her lips into a tight line, "Sure, Kate. Yes, Kate and her Venus flytrap, Jane with her puppy, or anyone really. Now put your heads down on your desk. Remember, you can only vote once, and no peeking!"
"What if Kate still wins... or someone else?" Maura whispered to Jane as Miss Devon asked for those who liked Jeremy's helicopter the most.
Jane peeked over at her friend and smiled and the little blond. She had her forehead resting on her little forearms, hidden beneath the curtain of her golden hair. Perfectly obeying Miss Devon's request and not peeking.
"That's okay."
"I thought you wanted to win."
"Nah. Well, just so long as Kate loses, I'll be happy. But we don't have to win."
Maura lifted her face from her arms and peered at Jane, happy to find Jane's eyes already on her. Jane made a face at her, pulling a small giggle from Maura's lips. The sound surprised her as Maura Isles never giggled. Laughed, yes. But never giggled. She supposed it was because nothing ever entertained her so suddenly to force the sound from her. Nothing, that is, until Jane Rizzoli.
"Okay, now raise your hand if Kate's Venus flytrap was your favorite."
"Should I raise my hand?" Jane joked. Glancing around the room, she'd noted that Kate had voted for herself. Even her best friend Emily had abandoned her to vote for someone else.
"But I thought she was the bad guy."
"I was jus' kidding. Ya know, like a joke?"
"Oh, a joke!" Maura burst out giggling again, delighting in Jane's humor.
Jane shook her head, amused at the silliness of the girl beside her. She thought about the rest of the day, and how they'd get to play until Maura's mother got back from work. She wondered what kinds of games Maura liked, and whether or not she'd ever been in a tree house quite like her own. Would Maura like her toys? Or would she rather play outside in the backyard? Either way, Jane couldn't wait to get home and play with her new friend.
"And lastly, raise your hand if you liked Jane's puppy, Jo Friday." Miss Devon counted up the numerous hands that shot up in the air. It was nearly unanimous the five remaining votes had been kids voting for their own objects. "Looks like we have a winner. Miss Jane Rizzoli!"
Jane smiled proudly and stood up to receive her crown. Kate's dramatic huff and shaking of her head only made Jane feel even better. She'd finally beat the great Kate Graham. But as Miss Devon placed the paper crown upon the six-year-old's head, she realized something more pressing.
Did she really win? Technically she didn't do anything but stand next to Maura and Jo as they preformed in front of the class. And that made her wonder if she was the rightful bearer of the queenly title. Glancing at the little blond girl clapping beside her, Jane made her decision. She reached up and took the crown from her head, pausing to read the freshly markered words: 'The Queen of Friday!'
She took Maura's hand and pulled her to her feet. And in one swift motion, she placed the crown atop the head of a very surprised Maura. Because Miss Devon had fastened the crown one notch too big, the crown slowly slid down until it fell in front of Maura's face completely. She turned her head left and right as if confused by her sudden blindness. Eventually realizing the reason, the five-year-old pushed the crown up with one hand, and smiled her squinty-eyed smile all over again.
"I won?" Maura asked, confused but happy all the same. She absorbed the praise and happiness from the children around her, amazed that some of it was reserved specially for her. Never once before had she ever felt so liked.
"No, I won."
Jane bent down and scooped up Jo Friday in her arms, and hugging the forever-happy dog close to her body. She couldn't take her back now, not after today. Not after she realized how much fun it was to play with both her and Maura. Turning back to Maura, Jane tossed her an elated smile. Yes, Jane had won, and so did Maura. But Jane discovered that she'd won something much bigger than show and tell.
"Oh," Maura said a little less enthusiastically.
"I won a friend."
A/N: So... Yeah. I needed a way to practice and get feedback on my semi-omniscient POV/past tense writing. Plus, this has been bouncing around in my head for nearly a week. It's probably all over the place, but like I said, it's just practice to keep me writing while I take a break from long, multi-chapter fics. I don't know if it's any good, but I had fun with it.
Thank you for trying it out!