A/N: Fair warning now, while this is going to be eventual Rizzles, this has a lot of OCs from one of my own story universes and this is pretty much going to be a soapie drama, something fun and crazy for me to write. It's definitely AU, I am considering Maura having left half way through season two for the sake of this, as I will refer to some in show events (which will obviously have twists to them because no Maura present). Maura will have a significant relationship with an OC in this one, as at the point of her leaving Boston she and Jane are merely friends, and neither truly understand their feelings for one another yet. So in some ways it is very much going to be a Rizzles slow burn.
Unlikely to be regular daily updates, I would consider anything more than once a week a bonus, as I am going to try and make sure chapters are at least 3k words long. This one is very much for fun for me, I am sharing it for those who enjoy my writing - just please keep in mind that its not all gonna be kittens and unicorns, and I welcome feedback, but if you wanna be an ass about it, don't bother. Constructive more than welcome, and if you really don't like what you're reading, don't. Not everything I write will suit everyone. Especially since it appears I can write anything from fluffy, to really dark. This will land somewhere smack bang in the middle of those two types.
Chapter One
October 2011
Boston, Massachusetts
She had made a mistake. There was nothing else should could feel on the topic, Detective Jane Rizzoli had made a huge mistake. She hated admitting it to herself, but the evidence was right in front of her, well to be more precise 10,481 miles away, smiling unabashedly at her through the Skype program on her laptop.
When her best friend Doctor Maura Isles had told her that she was going to leave Boston she didn't once ask her to stay, and that had been her mistake. Granted she had not really anticipated that she would up and move half way around the world; across the country maybe, but not across the Pacific Ocean. She should have asked her to stay.
She couldn't change things now though, so she gave her best grin as she sat down on a stool in front of the laptop placed on her kitchen bench. "Hey Maur what time is it there?" She brought a beer to her lips and savoured the after work drink, it had been a long day and she was more than ready to unwind.
"It is 10:15am Saturday Australian Eastern Standard Time, which puts me currently fourteen hours ahead of you."
"So tell me, tomorrow is better than today right?" A tired sigh escaped Jane's lips after another long pull of her beer.
A coy smile played on Maura's lips, "You know that is not how it works Jane. My Saturday has thus far been pleasant, but as for yours only time will tell."
The doctor took a moment to study the digital image of her best friend streaming through her laptop. The first thing that struck her was the inherent tiredness that wearied olive skinned features and the dullness in dark brown eyes that stared back at her. The detective's long black curls were still pulled back in a pony tail, indicating to Maura that her best friend had not been home from work for very long. "Tough case?"
Jane frowned, "Yeah something like that. Pike really doesn't reach your standards Maur and frankly it sucks."
Maura had to choke back a small chuckle as it was no real surprise to hear her best friend's disdain at the work of Doctor Pike. She instead tried to be serious and focus on the very real problems caused by inferior and tardy forensic work. It had been two months since she had resigned as Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and she had hoped for Jane's sake that a new permanent replacement had been found. "Has Governor Deane not yet appointed a replacement?"
A quick shake of the head in the negative, "Nope, but Cavanaugh keeps complaining to the brass about Pike's incompetence and the affect it is having on our ability to close cases, so hopefully soon."
Maura nodded thoughtfully, feeling a tad guilty over the whole situation. It had almost felt like she was being derelict in her duty by resigning, but the position had become untenable once the media had obtained the information she was the biological daughter of mobster Patrick Doyle. "I'm really sorry Jane."
The Italian-Bostonian shrugged; it was just one of those things that neither of them could change and really when she assessed the changes in her best friend, she wouldn't have changed it anyway. Maura was clearly happy, her hazel eyes were full of life and the bags under her eyes had all but disappeared. She looked healthy and stress free. It was a freedom her best friend deserved more than anyone else she knew. "I'll live. So what's it like living in uh…" she scrunched her nose as she tried to drag the name of the city that Maura now resided in from the depths of her brain, "Lanchester?"
The blonde haired doctor rolled her eyes and corrected, "I didn't move to Durham County in England Jane. Launceston, Tasmania."
"Same difference," Jane said with a smirk, knowing all to well she was about to be lectured.
"Well actually Lanchester is a small village to the west of Durham and has a population just north of 4,000 people. Launceston has a population of just over 105,000 people. Never minding that Lanchester is a northern hemisphere village and Launceston is in the southern hemisphere…"
Jane raised her arms in mock surrender before interrupting the educational session that might just go on all night if she didn't do so. "I don't even want to know why you know that about some random village in England. But I do have to wonder, what's it like living in the ass end of the world?"
"Jane," her voice betrayed her exasperation. "There are many cities further south than Launceston. Do you really want me to continue to educate you on geography?"
No, I want you to come back home here to Boston where you belong. Jane sighed again, not at all willing to voice her thoughts. "E-mail me some photos maybe? Let me get to know this place you've taken to calling home."
Maura smiled radiantly at this suggestion. "Wonderful idea, especially now that I am settled in. Although I think the beauty of this place needs to be seen. You must let me fly you out here when Cavanaugh forces vacation time on you."
Jane ignored the suggestion, finished the beer she held and placed the empty down on the bench. She studied her friend further and noticed that not only was her hair back in a ponytail but that she was wearing jeans and a cream coloured cashmere sweater. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Maura, it's not even 10:30am on a Saturday, why are you not still in your yoga gear?"
"Oh, I have a brunch date." She smiled innocently at the picture of her friend leaning in closer. "Nothing escapes your eye for detail Jane," she winks playfully.
"A date date?" Her eyes may have appeared playfully accusatory based on the fact that Maura hadn't led with this information.
"Yes, a date date Jane."
"Then why the hell aren't you dressed to the nines, you know, like you normally are?"
"You don't like my outfit?" Maura pouted playfully.
"It's great Maur, I'm just, like you know, processing this more laid back casual you and wondering if you need to see a doctor or somethin'." Jane chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully; perhaps this new person in her best friend's life was the reason behind the fresh vibrancy she could see on her face.
Maura chuckled, "Oh Jane. Don't be silly, I can do casual too you know? You're not the only one with that market cornered."
"Maura, even when you do casual you do not do casual. A cashmere sweater with jeans I bet cost more than my weekly salary." The sound of a doorbell ringing filtered through the speakers on her laptop, "Oooh is that your date Doctor Isles?"
"That's for me to know," a cheeky wink followed by a more earnest goodbye, "I have to go now, but we'll talk soon. I've missed you Jane."
The detective forced a smile through the pangs of sadness at their conversation being over so soon, "Missed you too Maur, have fun on your date. Goodnight."
She ended the Skype call before she could catch Maura's final goodbye. She hated them. Maura had been pretty good at keeping in contact despite the time difference and the difficulty in scheduling around active homicide investigations, but every time contact had to end for the evening it hurt in ways that Jane just couldn't fathom.
She missed movie nights, she missed drinks at the Dirty Robber and in that moment she really missed the attentive medical examiner that refused to guess. Pike was all too happy to bandy about guesses, which would have been more than fine if they had been educated and not rushes to judgement that even she could tell were completely incorrect. Pike was infuriating.
A loud thumping noise brought her out of her thoughts, she wandered out of the kitchen and into the living room where she found Bass doing his best rock impression right next to her coffee table. "Oh look it's Maura's pet rock." He was always hiding from her when he heard her coming, but she didn't really blame him. Softening a little she knelt down next to the tortoise and gave him a quick rub on his shell, "I miss you're mama too."
Launceston, Tasmania
This was the sort of moment that Gabby Wilson was made for, coming through in the clutch when all seemed too far out of reach. Sure it was just a regular season softball game between her Eagles and the opposing Saints, but the thirty year old thrived on pressure. Digging the toe of her back foot into the clay before dragging her front foot into the box she stared down the opposing pitcher. Her hands gripped the handle of the bat tight enough to allow full bat control as she swung through a couple of times before bringing it above her shoulder in preparation for the pitch.
It was the bottom of the seventh and final inning of the game; her team was down three runs, with bases loaded and two out. Gabby essentially needed a deep double so that she could clear the bases for the win. Something she was more than capable of, being the competition's leading home run hitter from the previous season. Of course her task was made all the more difficult by the fact the opposing team's pitcher Monica Taylor was the best in the competition and patrolling centre field was one of the most athletic and talented players the competition had ever seen in its forty year history; Melissa Sanderson.
From the bleachers Maura sat, riveted by the pivotal battle that she knew was about to take place. Having spent enough time supporting Jane in her BPD social games she had grown to understand the basic rules and scenarios. Plus anything she didn't know she was able to ask the fellow American she sat with; Brad Robinson was there in support of his fiancée Monica and despite the fact that they were there supporting opposing teams the air was friendly between them. "Something tells me these two have been in similar positions in the past."
Brad glanced beside him at the blonde, "You dunno the half of it. These girls have been battling one another for probably the last 15 years since coming up in under 16s."
"I have noticed a lot of familiarity between the teams."
"Yeah, for the most part it's a tight knit group. The comp has been dying off over the last five years; it used to be a lot more vibrant. Gabby used to play for the Bears, although they were short lived." He jumped out of his seat with enthusiasm when his girlfriend whisked a second straight strike across the plate, "That a girl Mon!"
Maura focused more intently on what was happening in front of her as Gabby remained calm under pressure and didn't bite at the off the corner pitches thrown her way. In no time the count was full at three balls and two strikes. Maura smiled broadly when Gabby stepped out of the box and looked over at her briefly before returning for the pivotal pitch. She was up and out of her seat cheering excitedly as aluminium connected with leather loudly, the ball soaring deep through the air. However she stopped when she saw Gabby just walking to the dugout, despite the ball still being airborne. "Okay, I know I'm no expert, but what is she doing?"
Brad sighed, "That's Gabby giving up because…" he paused as they watched Melissa run back with the flight of the ball and dive diagonally backwards to catch the ball, picking herself up and pulling the ball out of her glove to signify a clean catch. "Because of that," he shrugged as if to say it was nothing out of the ordinary. "She's gonna be pissed."
"Oh?" Maura had considered the behaviour strange, as she vaguely recalled Jane mentioning in the past the importance of always running the bases, just in case. However she couldn't fathom why Gabby would be anything other than disappointed, she saw no necessary room for anger.
"Missy is Gabby's ex girlfriend. She just had the game taken away from her by her ex. She's gonna be really pissed." He stood and offered his hand to Maura, "Come on lets go wait for the girls at the canteen, pretty sure they've got a liquor license and you may want to have a can of Bundy waiting for Gabby."
Maura accepted his help down the metal bleachers and followed him towards the main building which housed change rooms, the canteen and a function room up stairs. "Bundy?"
He laughed, "Oh yeah you haven't been here for very long have you?"
"Just a couple of months," she confirmed.
"Bundaberg Rum, it's Gabby's drink of choice."
The blonde nodded slowly and joined Brad in line to purchase said drink for her date. She pondered the new information she had gleaned with regards to Gabby's ex and tucked it away for a future discussion. Things were new and fresh and very much in the get to know a person stage and as such she didn't feel the need to press for more information just yet.
Having purchased the bottle of Bundy and somewhat reluctantly through a lack of choice, a can of Boag's Draught beer for herself, she sat down opposite Brad on a wooden four seater picnic table. "My friend Jane would probably enjoy this beverage more than I will." Maura admitted sheepishly as she cracked open the can.
"No doubt, especially since Aussie beer is infinitely better than the swill they serve us back home." He gave her a knowing wink before opening his own can and taking several deep mouthfuls. "Ah, that's the stuff."
"How long have you been here?" She asked, while looking past him towards the dugout cage, where Gabby and Monica were exiting, deep in conversation.
"Fifteen years, my parents emigrated when I was fourteen."
"Do you miss home?"
He shrugged, while he was born in Oakland, California, he had long since discovered that Launceston was all the home he needed. "Well home is where the heart is, and my heart is here with Mon. So nah I don't miss it."
Maura nodded at this, her thoughts instantly flashing to Jane and the Rizzoli's. They had become her family and if there was one thing she missed about Boston, it was the sense of belonging she had found with Jane and her family.
She dragged herself out of her reverie when she noticed the white, blue and gold clad Gabby sidle up to the table next to the red black and white clad Monica. "That was a very good game, I'm sorry your hit didn't quite go far enough." She offered a sympathetic smile and handed Gabby the bottle of Bundy.
Gabby shrugged, sat down next to Maura and with an appreciative smile took the drink offered. "Thanks."
Monica greeted Brad with a hug from behind. "Hey handsome."
"Hey yourself." His face broke out instantly into a broad smile that Maura found to be very endearing. In her mind this man clearly loved his fiancée and she could tell from the limited interactions she had had with them both that the feelings were mutual.
There was just something about Brad in general that made Maura feel comfortable, aside from the fact that he was originally from the United States. She figured that perhaps it was that he was a lot like Frost, only taller with broader shoulders; his smile definitely reached the sincerity and genuineness of a Frost smile.
In contrast to the dark skinned six foot tall man she had wrapped in her arms, Monica wouldn't have stood taller than five foot five and was generally pale, although she had slight summer tan. Her hair was black like Jane's, but straighter and only curled down around the bottom of her ears.
The crunching sound of cleats on the bitumen path caught Maura's attention, dragging it away from the couple in front of her. She watched on with curiosity as a woman of similar height to herself with short blonde hair stuffed under a red Saints baseball cap sat down next to Brad and appeared to return the appraisal. After a few moments the woman spoke, "So Gabs, this the new woman?"
Gabby sighed and looked pained, "Not now Missy, come on."
Ah, the ex. Maura smiled and with a soft touch on the forearm of her companion said rather bluntly, "Yes, I would be the new woman."
Melissa rolled her eyes not at all impressed. She knew Gabby all too well and gave this new woman all of two months before being cast aside. "Good luck with that then."
Monica let go of her hold on Brad and clipped Melissa around the back of the head, "Don't be an ass." Turning to look at Maura she said, "You'll have to forgive Missy, she appears to have left her manners at home."
"Whatever Mon, you know as well as I do this is doomed before it even begins." Without waiting for a response Melissa stood up, picked up her kit bag and stalked off towards the car park.
Gabby watched her leave before turning to look at Maura, "I'm so sorry about that."
"It's okay; I do believe she was merely acting territorial and perhaps a little jealous." She watched a myriad of complex emotions flash through the green eyes staring back at her and thought to clarify, "Brad mentioned that she is your ex girlfriend."
"Right." Gabby made a mental note to tear him to shreds at a later date. "What do you say we get outta here?"
"You don't want to finish your drink?" Maura asked, not at all concerned by what had just occurred. She wanted to make it clear that there was nothing to be worried about and that she was happy to finish socialising before they departed. "Because Brad and I have been getting along really well."
The stress drained from Gabby's face when she heard those words. She was glad to hear that Maura was getting along well with her friends, Melissa excluded, and boy that was going to be a conversation and a half when they got around to it. She pulled the bottle to her lips and took a couple deep mouthfuls; smiling she said, "Then drink and be merry we shall."