Hey y'all. This is the sequel to What Happens in Vegas. It will follow Jane and Maura as they are starting their careers. I wanted to get started on it while the story and the characters were still fresh in my mind. And I have had two half days of training in a row, so I had time to write. :)
Let me know what you think so far. I might get another chapter up later after I get some studying done. Enjoy.
Maura Isles-Rizzoli bustled around the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on a couple of veggie omelets. She glanced up at the clock, realizing she needed to leave in half an hour to make it to work on time. She was halfway through her third and final year of a pathology residency at Mass General, and she knew that today was going to be a busy one. She had agreed to cover another resident's shift in the ER, so after working her normal twelve-hour day, she was going to be working another twelve hours in the ER after that. Maura filled up her favorite mug with coffee to enjoy with her breakfast, then also filled a travel mug to the brim, knowing she was going to need a lot of caffeine in order to make it through a twenty-four hour shift. Glancing up at the clock again wondering where her wife was, she pulled the omelets out of the pan and put one on each plate, adding cut up fruit and a piece of whole-grain toast to each.
Maura had just set the plates down on the table when she heard the door open. She smiled as she caught a glimpse of her wife of two-and-a-half years taking off her boots and hanging up her coat. Her smile grew wider as Jane entered the kitchen- looking tired as she pulled her hair out of the bun she usually wore it in during her shifts. Her long, dark curls fell riotously around her shoulders. Their schedules had not been lining up in the recent weeks and months, so Maura was grateful to have even just a half hour of time with her this morning to share breakfast with her wife.
"Morning Maur." Jane leaned in and gave her wife a quick kiss, grinning as she pulled back. "It smells fantastic in here!" Jane unbuttoned her uniform blouse and pulled it off, draping it over the back of the couch before sitting down at the table in her trousers and a white tank top. "Looks delicious too."
"Can I get you some coffee Jane?"
"No thanks. I was hoping to get some shuteye after I ate. As much as I love my coffee, it will just keep me awake." Jane rubbed her eyes and yawned. Her overnight shift had been full of action and now that she had sat down, her exhaustion was hitting her like a ton of bricks.
"How about orange juice?"
"That would be perfect. Thanks." Jane smiled, watching the blonde bend over slightly as she leaned into the fridge for the orange juice. Her eyes slipped downward and took in the view of Maura's yoga-toned ass. Even in hospital scrubs, her wife was stunning.
Maura straightened up and shut the door to the fridge, catching Jane's eyes wandering as she did. "See something you like Jane?" Maura called over her shoulder as she poured the juice into a glass.
"No. But I see something I love." Jane smirked as Maura returned to the table, first placing the glass of juice in front of Jane, and wrapping her arms around her wife. Jane relaxed into her embrace and turned her head to kiss Maura's cheek. "Mhmm. I missed you."
Maura held Jane for a few more seconds, reluctant to break the contact she had been craving all night. Spending nights alone in their king-size bed was hard for Maura. "I missed you too." She kissed the top of Jane's head as she pulled back. "Eat. It's getting cold." Maura took her seat across from Jane. She picked up her mug and sipped some coffee as she watched Jane eat. Once Jane had made a sizeable dent in her omelet, Maura took a few bites. "How was your shift?"
Jane swallowed and took a drink of orange juice. "It was crazy. The drug unit has been working on taking out a large drug ring in Southie, and we helped bring in three of their distributors last night. They put up a fight of course, so it ended up being a bigger pain in the ass than we anticipated."
Maura spread some strawberry jam onto her toast before taking a bite. She knew Jane was hoping to get transferred to the drug unit soon, so she was glad that she was gaining experience. But the drug unit came with a lot of danger, so naturally Maura didn't like the idea too much. She stabbed a piece of pineapple with her fork and brought it to her mouth. "That sounds intense." Maura said quietly, trying to mask her unease about the situation.
"It was." Jane shrugged, scraping up the last of her omelet onto her fork. "Martinez says that they are planning a big stakeout for tonight to try and catch the bigwigs. He said that he might need me as backup, and if it goes well, I might be looking at a promotion to Narcotics." She looked up just in time to see Maura's furrowed brow.
Maura was torn between fear for Jane's safety and pride at a possible promotion. She knew that Jane had been working hard for the past couple years, paying her dues as a patrol officer. This promotion would serve as justification for all the long nights and hard days work she had put in. But Maura also knew the promotion would likely put Jane into harm's way with increased frequency. She tried to smile at Jane's news, but only managed a weak one. "That's good news. I know you've been working towards this for several months now."
Jane pushed her empty plate back, unconvinced by Maura's efforts to remain calm. She stood with her plate in hand and brought it into the kitchen, placing it in the dishwasher. She returned to the dining room, where Maura took a few more small bites of her breakfast. Jane leaned against the table next to her wife. "You don't have to worry you know. I'll be careful." She put her index finger under Maura's chin and lifted it so she could look into Maura's eyes. Her heart fluttered as she noticed just how worried Maura actually was. "Maura. I'll be careful." Jane emphasized her point with a gentle kiss to Maura's lips.
Maura studied Jane's face for several seconds, before nodding hesitantly. She caught a glimpse of the clock over Jane's shoulder, realizing she needed to leave. She smiled, albeit unconvincingly at her wife. "I know you will. I just worry sometimes." She pushed her chair back from the table and stood, kissing the brunette's cheek as she did. "I'm going to be late. I have to go." She put her plate and mug into the dishwasher as Jane had done.
Jane watched as her wife glanced in the mirror to check her makeup one last time, before picking up her purse and keys from the counter. She held out the travel mug and Maura took it from her with a grateful smile. Both women leaned in for a quick good-bye kiss but like usual, the kiss lingered, as both women were reluctant to part.
"Bye Maur. Be awesome today." Jane gave her a playful pat on her bottom, evoking a genuine smile from Maura. "My shift ends before yours, so I should be here by the time you get home tomorrow."
Maura slipped on her winter coat and braced herself for the cool winter air as she gripped the doorknob. Before she opened the door, she turned back to her wife. "I'll see you tomorrow Jane. Be safe tonight. I love you."
"Love you too." Came Jane's reply. "Oh and Maura? Just to clarify, I plan to be in bed tomorrow when you get home. Naked." She quirked an eyebrow suggestively. "And I plan on spending the majority of the next two days in bed. With my wife."
Maura laughed, the sound echoing through the entryway. "You don't have to ask me twice Jane. Although, we may need to sleep for a bit before we partake in any…exertive activities." She stepped outside onto the snow-crusted steps, feeling the crunch of a fresh layer of snow under her sneakers.
"Naked sleeping?" Jane grinned hopefully as she came to the door to watch her wife head out.
Maura laughed again, her breath rising like smoke in the winter air. "You drive a hard bargain Jane. You're lucky I am madly in love with you." She headed down the stairs, taking her time so she wouldn't slip. "You've got yourself a deal." She called over her shoulder, seeing Jane pump her fist triumphantly in the doorway. Maura still had a smile on her face as she got into her car and headed down the street.
Jane crouched in the alleyway, her heart pounding in her chest. It was dark, but her eyes had adjusted. She tugged at the bulletproof vest around her abdomen, feeling constricted by the way it hugged her chest. Even in the frigid air, she was sweating. Her head whipped around as she heard footprints behind her, and she exhaled in relief when she saw it was Martinez and several officers from the drug unit. They mirrored Jane's position on the opposite side of the alley, and Martinez began a series of hand signals to let the other officers know how the bust was to go down. Jane had already discussed her role in the operation in great detail with Martinez, and he had been quite clear about her orders to remain outside to secure the scene and to help detain the leaders of the drug ring once they were brought into custody.
She tightened her grip around her gun as Martinez gave a silent countdown. He gave her a slight nod as he and the other officers made their way into the building under the cover of darkness. It wasn't even thirty seconds later that she heard the distinct popping sound of gunfire, followed by muffled shouting.
Jane stood up from her position behind a dumpster, feeling the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She desperately wanted to be in on the action, helping in what had clearly turned out to be a sticky situation, but she knew she was under strict orders. Disobeying orders at this stage in the game would certainly put her on the shit list for any upcoming promotions. She slid the safety off her gun and positioned herself in front of the exit, hoping to be able to stop any of the perps if they decided to run.
There was a loud crack behind her, and before she could turn, a body slammed into hers, knocking her against the steel dumpster and sending her gun skittering across the icy concrete. Her hands immediately flew to her ribs in pain, but she tried not to focus on the pain as she looked around for her attacker. She stood up, eyes searching the dark alley for her any sign of her gun, but her attacker quickly cornered her, Jane catching the glint of a knife as the person lunged at her. Jane was quick to respond, even though the pain in her ribs took her breath away, and she caught her assailant on the eyebrow with a hard elbow. The man grunted and staggered back, only to come at her again a short second later with renewed anger.
As Jane prepared to defend herself, the door to the building swung open, and Martinez and a couple officers staggered out, dragging one of the perps by his collar. Their exit was enough of a distraction and Jane felt the searing pain of the knife blade in her thigh. She was able to react and with all the strength she could muster, tackling the guy to the ground, landing on the frozen concrete with a sickening thud. She quickly changed her position so she was able to roll the guy over, straining to pin his arms behind his back as he resisted against her.
"Call for medics!" Someone yelled in the background.
Jane felt someone tap her on the shoulder and another officer took her place holding the guy down until he had handcuffs on. She exhaled a shaky breath, feeling the burn in her chest from what she assumed were a couple of broken ribs and tried to stand, only to stumble back from the searing pain in her leg. Looking down, a large puddle of blood had already formed, and she started to panic as blood continued to flow from a deep gash on her thigh. Suddenly, her legs felt wobbly and her vision blurred. Someone came behind her and sat her down gently against the alley wall. Martinez appeared in front of her, stripping off his black sweatshirt and pressing it against her thigh.
"We need medics over here!" He called. He looked at Jane. "Hold on Rizzoli, we got help coming."
Jane nodded, feeling herself starting to shiver uncontrollably from the blood loss and the frigid temperature. Martinez pressed harder and she grimaced, determined not to cry out in pain in front of the other officers. A paramedic arrived and crouched by her side. The paramedic took one look at the wound on Jane's leg and motioned for her partner.
"We need a stretcher over here now!" The paramedic yelled. "She's got a deep wound to her thigh which may have nicked the femoral artery. I need sterile gauze and lots of it."
Jane was in and out of consciousness as the paramedics worked on her. They placed her on a stretcher and loaded her into the ambulance as they tried to stop the bleeding. The doors slammed shut and she heard the paramedic tell the driver to head to St. Elizabeth's Medical Center. She slid the oxygen mask off her face.
"No! Not St. E's." She said hoarsely. "Mass Gen…Please!"
Maura was sitting at the nurse's station filling out paperwork when a dispatch call came in about an incoming trauma. As she stood and stretched, stiff from sitting, she listened to the details about the patient as they crackled over the radio.
Incoming trauma: Twenty-five-year-old white female. Large wound to the left thigh, with possible damage to the femoral artery. Possible fracture to ribs. Stable, but extensive blood loss. ETA, seven minutes. Please be advised.
There was a flurry of activity as nurses and doctors began to prepare a trauma bay for the incoming patient. Maura stood, unable to move as she was paralyzed by the idea that their incoming trauma could be Jane. She had been uneasy for most of her shift, knowing that Jane was going to be helping with the drug bust. Maura tried to calm herself down, taking a few deep breaths and letting them out slowly. Please don't let it be Jane she found herself chanting mentally as she slipped on a plastic trauma gown and donned gloves.
Maura followed a couple other doctors to the ambulance bay, a blast of cold air eliciting gasps as they exited the automatic doors. Maura bounced on her heels trying to keep warm as they heard the siren of the approaching ambulance. The wind whipped through the ambulance bay as the vehicle approached, the flashing lights blinding in the darkness.
The ambulance doors opened and a paramedic hopped down. Maura craned her neck to see who was in the ambulance and her heart started racing when she recognized the brunette on the stretcher. Her hand flew to her mouth as the stretcher was pulled from the back of the ambulance, when she saw how pale Jane was. She immediately sprang forward, clutching Jane's hand in hers, thankful when she felt Jane's hand clutch hers back.