Mountain High, Cavern Deep
A/N Welcome back! Thank you for such amazing support for Eleven Bold and Brazen J WOW. As you may have guessed from the title, Jane and Maura are visiting the mountains. Of course, I can't let them take a vacation like regular folks. Where they are, trouble soon follows.
Jane sat in the molded plastic chair and tried to force her mind to empty. She had humored Maura by purchasing two new gun magazines, but had yet to turn the first page. She was on edge and had no idea why. Every nerve ending in her body was at full attention. She knew Frost was two rows away trying to make himself invisible. Maura was quietly reading a forensics magazine. While she was about to jump out of her skin at the slightest sight or sound?
Finally their flight was called and they presented their boarding passes. Jane allowed Maura to have the window seat. Maybe if she was busy identifying clouds, she would forget to give a lecture on where they were going. This place had better be all Korsak claimed it to be. He and the second wife had honeymooned there. The name sounded peaceful and the pictures were very pretty. She could stand a week of lying in bed for long decadent hours, sipping coffee on the back porch watching the leaves whisper in the breeze. Mountain Mist; her home for a week.
"For the love of.. It can't be! Maura did you see that?" Jane asked in full panic mode.
"Jane, what is it. Calm down. What did you see?" Maura was beside her in an instant.
"What direction Jane, male, female?" Frost had his hand on his Glock. He moved to stand directly in front of Jane blocking her from anyone coming toward the ticket gate.
"Over there." Jane pointed rubbing her eyes. She was seeing things. "Look, forget it guys. I'm just tired. I really do need a vacation. Here I am seeing things I know I can't possibly be seeing."
"What did you see?" Maura repeated her hand on Jane's wrist. She counted a very rapid pulse.
"Was it Raymer?" Frost demanded. If anything happened to Jane in the airport his butt was dog food.
"No. It wasn't Raymer. C'mon, just forget it. I'm seeing things." Jane took anpther step forward then suddenly dogged to the right. She crouched behind the ticket counter her heart racing. Why was her Mother in the airport? She had to be mistaken. Jane peeped over the edge and let out a pitiful squeak.
Impossible! Rushing toward Angela Rizzoli with a bag of snacks in one hand and her purse flying wildly from the other was none other than Aunt Shirley.
"Jane, did you invite your Mother and Aunt?" Maura asked crouching beside her, concern warring with surprise.
"Frost!" Jane hissed.
"Don't look at me partner. I'm here because Cavanaugh ordered me. I didn't invite anyone else to the party."
"Frost, go be a detective." Jane begged. "Find out what flight those two are on and where they're going."
"Please." Maura added with a bright smile.
The young detective knew this was a lost battle and approached the nearest ticket counter. He flashed his badge and spoke earnestly to the attractive ticket agent. In less than a minute he was back a grim look on his face.
"Please do not say Knoxville, Gatlinburg or pigeon Forge." Jane begged almost bouncing on her heels.
He looked at the arrival and departure board and refused to say anything.
"How many babysitters do I need?" Jane snapped. She pushed herself to her full height and stalked after the disappearing pair.
"We go company and she aint smiling." Angela whispered to Shirley.
"So much for anonymity in a big metropolitan airport." Shirley huffed. She spotted a load of luggage moving toward them. "Normally, I wouldn't do this, but."
"Desperate times call for, well you know. Do something. If she catches up to us she will never let us get on that plane."
Shirley waited until the luggage was right on them. She kicked with her left foot and pushed against the soft leather with both hands. Bags flew off the cart and scattered over the floor. "Run!" She yelled to Angela.
The two sprinted as fast as they could to the ladies room. Luck was on their side and two stalls stood open for them. They ducked inside and prayed Jane didn't stoop to look under the doors. Angela could still climb onto the stool and perch, but Shirley was a bit top heavy. If she tried squatting on top of the stool, they would be calling for a plumber, an ambulance and a priest.
"This is crazy! Why are we chasing my mother and aunt through the airport?" Jane demanded. "Let them go to wherever. I am on vacation and they can just amuse themselves." She stalked back to the ticket counter and waited to board the flight to Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport.
"She'll calm down once we get airborne." Maura assured frost.
On the plane Jane pretended to snooze while Maura chatted across the isle to Frost. "The airport is located 12 miles south of downtown Knoxville. It occupies more than 2,000 acres with space for additional economic development and can accommodate any size aircraft. Federal Express, UPS and Airborne Express all have buildings designed tp meet their specific needs. Federal express and UPS together account for almost 90% of the air freight at McGhee Tyson Airport."
"Maura, I love you dearly, but if you lecture us this entire flight I will not be responsible for the violence I visit upon you. Please Baby, just put on your headphones or read a magazine. Please." Jane lay with her head on Maura's shoulder. Dark brown locked with molten hazel and the world stopped.
Wasn't there a line in a Lady Gaga song that says if love isn't rough it isn't fun, or something to that effect? Would Jane let her inner cavewoman out if the lecture continued? Maybe she would push that particular button once they were safely ensconced in the luxury chalet. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to silky jet locks. "I'll fill Detective Frost in on the rest of then wonders of the Knoxville Airport some other time."
Frost chuckled but otherwise remained quiet. He slipped on the headphones and zoned out. With Jane being so on edge, he had to keep his guard up and razor sharp. At least until they knew where Raymer was and what he was up to.
At the airport, Frost was a gentleman and waited for the bags while Jane and Maura went to the Enterprise car rental counter.
"I want something fast and luxurious." Jane informed when asked by the pierced Enterprise Employee what she was looking to rent.
"We have a White Diamond Cadillac DTS."
"Fine, we'll take it for a week." Jane provided ID and signed the paperwork.
"Isn't that a little pricey, we could have gotten a hybrid… You know what, never mind. We are on vacation and we deserve to be pampered a little."
"Please enter the address into the GPS." Jane said helping Frost load the bags.
"Where are we going?"
"Sorry, I meant to give you this at the airport but, then I spotted Ma and Aunt Shirley and forgot." Jane passed Maura the brochures Korsak had given her from Mountain Laurel Chalets.
Maura programmed the address into the GPS and they began the journey to Gatlinburg. Jane let out a loud whoosh of breath and relaxed into the butter soft leather seat. She felt most of the tension drop away as they drew closer to the mountains. A genuine smile lit up her entire face as Maura spotted the Tram going to the top of the mountain.
"Jane, we have got to ride the tram. Do they have ski runs?" She asked excitement causing her voice to rise. "And the Artists community. We have to go through all the shops. All the handmade goods!"
"You are worse than a child on Christmas." Jane teased twirling a lock of tawny blonde hair around her index finger. "Yes we will ride the tram. They probably don't have any snow this time of year, but if you like, we may be able to come back when there is snow."
"What about the shops?" Maura couldn't help asking.
"Of course I will allow you to drag me through every single shop in the county, but you have to allow me to sleep late and sit on the porch drinking coffee."
"Deal." Maura promised leaning as far as the seatbelt would allow. Thankfully Jane met her halfway and they shared a swift kiss.
"Not to be a party pooper, but this road is awfully curvy, how about waiting to do all that once we get to the place?" Frost asked nervously.
Jane shot him an annoyed glance but returned her gaze to the road. The only curves she wanted to think about were sitting less that six inches to her right. But she could be patient. She had to sort through her emotions and feelings and see where she and Maura stood. Maybe she wouldn't be sleeping so late after all…..
A/N OK here is the first chapter. Let me know what you think. And thank you in advance for reading and reviewing!