A Masquerade of Realization.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli and Isles in any way, shape, or form - much to my disappointment. I borrow the characters as they please and make them work at my will, or so the will of my muse.

Warning: Little to no actual writing ability present lately, so bare with me. No Beta, so all mistakes are mine for the taking.

Author's note: Just a small piece of fluff that came to me whilst I was trolling tumblr.
Dedicating this piece to my beautiful partner, Emma (Grumbello – read her Wicked stories!) because she was my inspiration.

Monday.

Being considered 'one of the guys', no one battered an eyelash when Jane Rizzoli was granted permission to wear a tailored suit instead of ball gown to the annual Boston Police Department Masquerade Ball. She could occasionally tolerate a 'little black dress', but there was no way in hell she was going to even attempt to tolerate an elegant ball gown.

For the most part, Jane had even considered not attending the ball. She understood that it was mandatory, but figured she was tough enough to handle the consequences. It was a stupid ploy to get all members of the Boston Police Department to mingle with people outside of their favored sectors. The added element of the mask was an attempt to keep some mystery about who you were talking to and what department they specialized in.

After weighing up her options, however, the Detective begrudgingly agreed to attend on the premise that she didn't have to wear a dress or dance. She was highly regarded, if not intimidating, so her requests were readily met. Besides, she was going to be able to see her best friend looking more elegant than usual, and Jane wasn't one to pass that opportunity up too often.

-xo-

Part anxious, part excited, Maura had no qualms about attending the ball. Sure, she hated large crowds, but since being best friends with Jane she had learned to despise them a whole lot less. She looked for the silver lining. Shopping for a new dress and heels was definitely something she had no problems doing.

The Medical Examiner had enough dresses and pairs of heels at home to clothe an entire boarding school of girls, however this never deterred her from needing more as she admired the craftsmanship put in to each individual garment. Finding the perfect dress was going to be difficult, but the one person she always subconsciously tried to impress was worth it.

There was a brief moment of panic where Maura realized that Jane mightn't be going. The email stated that it was a mandatory ball, but Jane wasn't ever one to follow the rules. This would be Maura's first appearance, but she had no idea about past events and which ones Jane had or hadn't attended. As a best friend, Maura occasionally found herself lacking in the knowledge of Jane's past.

-xo-

Wednesday.

"Hey, you" Jane greeted softly upon entering the Morgue.

In one swift motion the Detective lifted herself so she was sitting with her legs dangling over the side of the unoccupied 'dead person's table'.

Without looking up, without breaking her concentration, without faltering on the final stitches of the Y-incision, Maura smiled.

"Jane, hi" she replied. "Just give me a minute."

"Sure" shrugged Jane.

The pair fell in to a comfortable silence whilst Maura finished her stitches and Jane swung her legs back and forth. This was customary for the pair – the silence, enjoying each others company, watching as the other finished up some work.

Jane's mind was occupied with thoughts of her best friend. Thoughts that included her best friend's perfectly sculptured body, unique smell, and shining hazel eyes. It wasn't until Maura snapped off her latex gloves that Jane realized she had zoned out for the remainder of the autopsy.

"Can I ask whether you're actually going Friday night?" Maura queried, not looking to Jane whilst she made her way over to her notes.

Jane made a noise of displeasure followed by a mumbled "Yeah."

The Medical Examiner let out a small chuckle at Jane's displeasure of the social event. She didn't take pleasure in Jane's misery, just her antics.

"It's not going to be that bad" Maura shrugged, before screwing her nose up and adding "Besides, you're allowed to wear a suit."

Jane grinned triumphantly, "How'd you know that?"

"News travels" Maura offered, closing her laptop after a few taps on the keyboard.

"They can't expect me to attend and wear a dress" laughed the Detective, "so it was one or the other."

Maura frowned lightly. "One day you're going to learn to follow the rules."

"Doubtful" scoffed Jane.

"Well, you should at least try."

"And where's the fun in that, Doctor?"

"You'd know if you tried it, Detective."

"Touche. Anyway, I'm sure you're going to look just as amazing as always, so how about I don't see you beforehand and I try to find you among...amongst... among... the crowd?" Jane suggested.

"Both are correct and mean the same thing, Jane, but among is the more common term" the Doctor explained, "and sure, that sounds like it could be fun."

"So it's settled" Jane concluded, "I'll catch you in the morning, Maur."

The Detective unceremoniously jumped down from the table she was on and headed out the door, fighting every urge to look back as she passed the glass wall.

-xo-

Friday.

The Doctor wore a somewhat simple designer dress. The corset bodice was strapless and white, but from under the bust down to the waist had black lace covering it with an additional purple bowed ribbon. The white skirt expanded from the waist down to the floor, but it wasn't over the top. The shoes were simple white stilettos, although they couldn't be seen from under the dress. Her hair was down so it framed her face whilst bouncing around the shoulders. She was light on the makeup, and the mask she opted for was white with black and purple lace and it covered her eyes, nose, and upper cheeks, held in place by purple ribbon tied at the back of the head.

Maura entered the hall, the white skirt of her dress gently swaying as she moved. The lights caught each of the individually sewn beads causing a light glimmer. With her mask firmly in place, she was almost positive that people wouldn't be able to identify her, and that was just how she wanted it. How she needed it.

With a new sense of confidence amongst the sea of people, Maura walked a little further in, not failing to notice numerous sets of eyes land on her form. Slow enough to draw attention, but determined enough not to be stopped, she made her way over to the drinks table. A glass of red wine- the one main thing that would give her away was anyone to notice.

-xo-

Sharply dressed, Jane stood in front of the entrance to the hall. She knew that she was late, but she had surprised herself with just how much effort she put in to her appearance. Her hair was braided and ran down between her shoulder blades, her heeled boots weren't scruffy, her suit was clean, and she wore her usual makeup. The mask she chose was a simple black one, only covering her eyes and the bridge of her nose, held in place by a small stretch of elastic around the head. She hadn't planned on dressing up at all – planning instead on making an appearance and disappearing when she could. Something inside her compelled her to apply some effort, however.

Trudging through the door, the Detective did a quick sweep of the hall before her eyes halted at the drinks table. Ordinarily, they would have stopped there because alcohol was the only way she was going to make it through the night. Tonight, however, they stopped there because that is where she stood. Jane had no idea who she was, exactly, but she was somewhat enchanted nonetheless. Only one other woman had left her in such a state, but Jane never made the connection.

Making her way through the crowd, Jane was summoned off to the right by Detectives Frost and Korsak. The drinks table was on the left, and that is where she wanted to be, but with a slight scowl she acquiesced to the summons.

"Wow, Rizzoli, even in a suit you scrub up nice!" Frost stated, accompanied with an impressed once-over.

"Bite me" Jane growled.

"He's right, kiddo," Korsak added with a glint in his eye, "You scrub up well."

"And you can join him" Jane shot.

"Feeling a little hostile tonight, Detective?"

Jane didn't hear the question, instead her attentions turned back to the woman she spied earlier. There was something eerily familiar about the way just looking at her made Jane feel. Jane knew that feeling, but she needed to get closer.

"I'll hit you guys up later, yeah?" Jane said halfheartedly, still not turning her attention back to the men.

Without waiting for a reply, the masked Detective navigated her way towards her original destination, not bothering to look around to see how everyone else looked. She had one thing in mind, and that was to unmask the mysterious woman that caught her attention.

-xo-

With a glass of red wine in her hand, Maura scanned the hall, her eyes landing on a tall, lean figure heading her direction. Immediately she recognized who it was - the only woman in the whole hall wearing a suit. It was her best friend, her colleague, and the woman that she had fallen in love with. Even though she didn't want to be recognized herself, she was relieved that she had worked out who Jane was. She wanted to get close to the woman, and if being masked was the only way that it was possible, she was going to take it.

Suddenly a thought hit the Medical Examiner. Though she was masked, she was still female, and as far as she knew her best friend didn't make out with women. Disappointed, Maura concluded that the whole night was going to be a waste of time. All her planning, all her preparation, all her effort, (not so much her shopping), had been in vain.

On a roll, another thought crossed through the Maura's mind. Jane was on her way towards her. So she had either figured out who she was, or she was heading towards the drinks table. Either way, nothing was going how Maura had wanted it to before she had set foot in the hall. Dejectedly, Maura turned away from the fast approaching woman, needing to come up with a different plan for the night.

-xo-

Seeing the woman turn away from watching her, Jane slowed her steps. Maybe she had realized that a woman was approaching her with a determined look and didn't want the embarrassment of turning her down for anything. That thought didn't deter the Detective for long, however, as she was only a few feet from her destination.

With a brave persona, Jane stepped up behind the woman in the elegant ball gown and leaned in close enough to whisper in her ear.

"May I have this dance?" she asked, pushing the fear of rejection aside.

With a hitched breath, Maura simply nodded. Jane was coming towards her after all, and she had asked her to dance despite the fact that she was a girl. The Doctor was frozen for a few moments. Things were going well so far, but she knew that there was no way that she was going to be able to reveal her identity, so this was going to be the only real moment that the two were going to have together.

Fearing that she was in the woman's personal space, Jane took a hesitant step back and held out her hand. Dancing was never on the cards for the evening, but she couldn't help herself. She needed to know who the woman was, and if it was possible that it was who she was hoping it to be.

Having slowly turned around after placing her wine glass on the table, Maura took Jane's outstretched hand gently. That one simple touch sent what felt like a volt of electricity through the Medical Examiner's body – though she knew full well that it was impossible. Before being led on to the dance floor, Maura wondered if Jane had felt the same thing or if it was just wishful thinking.

Still reeling from the volt of electricity that surged through her, Jane was a little wobbly on her feet as she led Maura to the center of the dance floor. In a haze, it seemed as if the other occupants of the hall had parted to either side of them as they made their way through the crowd. The Detective knew that the notion was crazy, but it was how she felt at that moment. She felt as though everything was just her and the woman that was holding her hand, as if everything else was working around those two and they were the center of things.

Maura obliged to being pulled in closer to her Detective as a new song, a Waltz, started playing. She placed one hand in Jane's larger one, the other on the woman's shoulder. A shudder ripped through her as she felt a hand tentatively being placed on her lower back. For a brief moment, as corny and incorrect as she knew it sounded, Maura felt complete. With Jane was where she wanted to be; at that moment, for the next week, and even for the rest of her life. When things with Garrett ended badly, Maura had kept her heart intact by not giving it to anyone – repeating 'not my type' to any possible suggestion. She had tried fooling herself for as long as possible, but when she fell in love with Jane she said it out of convenience more than anything else.

Jane lead the pair around the dance floor, never missing a step. It was times like these that the generally rebellious woman silently thanked her mother for the dance lessons she took when she was younger. For anyone else, she would never have even attempted dancing in front of a crowd, but this woman was not just anyone else. This woman was familiar and comfortable, though she wasn't confidently sure why just yet. Proud of herself, she moved fluently around the floor, accentuating every move that she and her partner made, bringing them to the end of the song where she noticed that the rest of the people had moved off to the side to watch them.

By the end of the dance, the Medical Examiner was slightly breathless. She had a crimson tinge to her cheeks as she too noticed that people were watching them, watching their every move, expecting more from them. After looking around them for a few seconds, she looked back to Jane with the faintest smile playing on her lips. She wanted more, wanted to feel more of her Detective, wanted to be closer to her. Despite all of her wanting, however, she didn't want to ruin anything by pushing her luck or being discovered, so with an appreciative smile and a curtsey the woman went to turn away before being gently stopped by a hand grabbing her own.

"Stay with me" Jane whispered to the retreating form, giving the woman's hand a gentle squeeze.

She needed to know who this woman was, needed to know if it was who she wanted it to be. She didn't want to push, however, so she left the opportunity open by dropping the smaller hand and just watching her. The smile that graced her lips as the other woman nodded again was a sure giveaway at how relieved she was with the reply. As gracefully as she could, she placed her hand back on the small of the woman's back and led her through the crowd and towards the doors. She wanted somewhere quiet and away from prying eyes and ears. It was enough that she danced with another woman, she didn't need people to know who the other woman was as well.

A little nervously, Maura followed Jane's gestures and before she knew it the pair were outside the hall and away from the crowd. As much as she didn't want the night to end, and didn't want her identity revealed because she was sure that it would make things awkward between the two of them, she had a feeling that everything was about to become open anyway - she had trouble denying Jane much of anything.

Away from the entrance, Jane pulled the smaller woman around lightly so they were standing in front of each other. The familiar scent still intoxicating, and although the it was getting late Jane could still see clearly in to the eyes staring back at her. She was certain, beyond reasonable doubt now, that she knew who it was that was behind the mask. She assumed that being the only woman in a suit, she knew that the woman knew who she was, so had wanted to dance with her. Still, instead of coming out with what she was thinking, she was going to take things one step at a time.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly, her voice full of faux curiosity.

Maura looked to the ground, debating with herself over what to do. She didn't want Jane to know who she was, but on the other hand she did; she hoped that Jane would understand. She remained quiet.

Prompted by the silence, Jane continued; "You know who I am, so isn't it only fair?"

The Doctor nodded for the third time that night. For one of the only times in her life, words were failing her. Jane seemed to have that effect on her, and for the life of her Maura didn't understand it.

Jane waited patiently, not wanting to screw things up, even though she knew exactly who the woman was now. She had noticed a while ago that she was able to leave Maura speechless occasionally, and this was just another one of those signature times.

Resigned, Maura let out a sigh. She raised her arms, her hands swiftly moving to the back of her head to untie her mask. She paused briefly with the ribbon in her fingers, then in a elegant movement the mask dropped to her side with her left arm, her right arm dropping to the other side.

"I was hoping it was you" Jane smiled widely, understanding spreading over her features at Maura's hesitance.

"You were?" Maura asked, astonished.

"I was" the Detective reiterated.

Jane placed her thumb and forefinger tentatively on Maura's chin, lifting her head ever so slightly. With a glint in her eye she leaned forward and connected their lips together in a slow, gentle, sensual kiss as if to test the waters. When she felt a reaction, she smiled and deepened the kiss gently.

Moments later, Maura pulled back slightly, only putting a few inches between their faces. She slipped her fingers around the back of Jane's head and took her mask off, hanging it in the same hand as her own.

"How long?" she whispered.

"A long time" Jane replied, knowing exactly what Maura was asking.

Maura simply nodded, showing that it was the same for her.

-xo-

Monday.

"Yo, Rizzoli! What's with the rumor going around about you and the good Doctor?" Frost inquired the moment Jane walked through the door in to the Homicide division.

"Dunno what you're talking about" Jane smirked back.

"Don't make me visit the morgue" he threatened.

Before either could make another retort, Maura strode through the door with two cups of coffee in her hands.

Both Frost and Korsak let out a laugh, causing Maura to look at them both inquisitively.

"What have I missed?" Maura asked innocently.

"The guys were just asking about the rumors they've come across" the Detective shrugged, taking a coffee cup from the other woman.

"Rumors?"

"You know, the ones about us?"

"I didn't know there were any..."

"You... you didn't know?" Korsak chuckled.

Maura shook her head, looking wide-eyed to Jane.

Jane smirked, taking a step closer to Maura before connecting their lips in a kiss.

"Rumors about that" she whispered in the Medical Examiner's ear.

"Oh" Maura choked out whilst the rest of the Homicide division started whooping and catcalling.