**DISCLAIMER – I do not own the characters, they belong to TNT and associated bodies. **
(However I have a wonderful imagination and that belongs all to me, just sometimes Jane and Maura wind up naked in it, and there's not a thing I can do to stop it. Gutted.)
I've toyed and toyed with the idea of writing a sequel to 'How to solve a Problem like a Wedding Ring', and have finally decided to just go ahead with it. If you dislike this story, then just pretend it never happened! If you like it, let me know!
Same Mistake - Belongs to James Blunt.
How to solve a problem like cold feet.
CHAPTER ONE - Same Mistake.
Jane Rizzoli practically bounced into the bullpen, grinning from ear to ear and laden with wedding magazines; virtually every man in the room shook his head and smiled. In the five months since the Leiutenant had finally popped the question to the most eligable woman in the city, you would be pushed to remember a day where she wasn't grinning. She really was the happiest woman in the world, until Maura would join her and then it just got sickly.
One of the best nights in their relationship, began with a rare argument. Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles were both known for being hot tempered, passionate, resilient and above all; righteous. In the midst of a heavy case, they were both worn out. The Champagne fuelled excitement of the previous month's engagement had worn off and in exhaustion, Jane pushed Maura a step too far.
"So we're going to have to wait fourteen, FOURTEEN Maura, more hours to see how this guy was killed; when we already know the weapon, who did it, how they did it and why they did it? Maur, this is ridiculous, even by your standards!" Jane yelled across the morgue, leaving Frost and Maura's assistant stunned.
"By MY standards? What are you implying Leiutenant?" Maura's formal tone wasn't lost on Jane.
"Can you give us a minute," Jane growled without looking at the bystanders. A hurried acknowledgement came from Frost before the scuttle of feet and the whoosh of the swing door signified they were now alone. Jane sighed and pressed her nose with her fore-finger and thumb, a motion Maura knew all too well meant that Jane was desperately trying not to blow up. She pirouetted on her tiptoes full-circle before tentatively stepping towards the Doctor, who crossed her arms in defiance.
"You can't hug this out Jane, what did you mean?"
"I just . . . Maur . . ." Jane took a breath. "You just elongate things sometimes, you know? We don't need to wait for the autopsy, we don't need chemical balance sheets and . . . and all the other complicated stuff that takes hours. I just need an informed opinion, from you; telling me that this guy," she pointed to the unopened body-bag; "died from stab wounds to the groin." She closed the space between them to gently put a hand on Maura's hip. "That's all I need."
Maura sighed deeply. Jane's proximity; indeed the very inkling of her possible presence in the Doctor's vicinity, enduced a calmness that both perplexed and mesmirized the smaller woman. She leaned into the Leuitenant's shoulder, taking a deep breath of the scent she loved.
"You are an incredibly frustrating, hot-headed, petulant and maddening woman at times," she whispered into Jane's neck, before lifting her head to look a soft-smiling Jane in the eyes. Wrapping her arms around the taller woman's neck she searched Rizzoli's face for hurt feelings. Finding no trace of wrong-doing, she continued; "Then there are times, when you hold me like this ,and one glance at you is all I need to know you are the one person I cannot be without. You are by far the greatest enigma in my life, but you are the one puzzle I don't mind spending the rest of my life trying to figure out." She reached up for a deep but gentle kiss. "Death was due to repeated stabbing of the right groin, I'll save the complicated bits for when I've actually got results."
Jane lost herself for a few seconds. Maura's forgiveness was never taken for granted, nor was it dished out in a careless manner. Jane knew Maura loved her, with everything in her very existance.
"You know," Jane husked; "The only reason I don't get bogged down with guilt, everytime I hurt you . . ." she swallowed, moving her hand to cup the smaller woman's cheek; " . . . is that I learn a lesson everytime, and that I know I have the rest of my life to do completely the opposite of hurting you." She smiled broadly, shaking her head slowly. "There is nothing in this world that I cannot wait to do more; than to tell you in front of everyone, just how much you mean to me . . . and then to show you," she grinned, touching her forehead to that of the now giggling Doctor. "You are the singular greatest thing in my life Maura . . ." the Doctor's fingers on her lips, silencing the rest of her words.
"I love you, so much. I never thought we'd make it," she smiled sadly. "And yet, we have; so stop apologising for expressing how you feel. I'd rather know than not know. It's forgotten. Go back to work!" Swatting the Leiutenant on the ass, she turned back to her own work,calling out gently; "I have a surprize for dinner."
Turning quickly on her heel, Jane swung halfway back in the doors.
"Oh yeah . . . what's that?" She grinned sheepisly.
"I got something nice for desert," pointing to a lingerie bag atop her chair in the side office. "Don't be late," she purred under sculpted eyelashes.
Jane grinned, walking backwards out the swing doors; roaring out, "God-damn luckiest woman in Boston, right here!" pointing at herself before skipping up the corridor.
For four months, they had not even so much as had a slight disagreement. Everything just flowed.
Their families had met for a Gnocci night, Maura's father being particularily adept in the kitchen; her mother finding her own comfort zone in an epic game of chess against Frank Sr. After the resounding success, a lunch followed; then another dinner. And another. And another. The comfort and love of Jane's family had helped Maura and her parents finally realize their own family ties, and for her parents to break down the screens of formality to show their love for their daughter.
"You seem even happier than usual . . ." Frost eyed up his former partner.
"Maura got Confirmed yesterday afternoon," she beamed. "It just . . . it means so much to me, you know? There was no need really for her to do it, but 'cos it's such a big thing to my parents that I get at least a blessing . . . for her to take all that time and effort to do something . . . it's against all her principles. She's a scientist, through and through. All facts, no blind faith, no uncertainness.I just, I don't want her to go through with things, just for me."
"She loves you Rizzoli," Frost smiled back. "She'd find a way to walk to the moon and back, if you asked her. There's not a thing she wouldn't do for you, or you for her for that matter. You've went through so much to get to this point, both of you," he looked gently, Jane nodded to acknowledge his point. "Yeah she's a scientist, but there's no reason behind loving someone, there's no set of atoms or whatever that binds you to someone. It's a mystery. Hell, it's the mystery that makes falling in love fun. She knows that. She knows that above all the reasons she could list why she loves you; you were apart and you had to fight, to find each other again. She knows what it's like to lose you, and vice-versa. That woman would give her last breath to you Jane. Don't question it. Just accept it on the condition that you would do the same for her. Never take her love for you, for granted. You gotta earn that girl, every day of your life."
Jane was lost in thought. She rose out of her seat slowly, touching him gently on the arm.
"I owe you." She whispered, walking out of the room.