Jane stood by the sink, groggily brushing her teeth in the rhythm of the tap dripping.
Drip, brush
Drip, brush, brush
Drip, brush
This childish form of entertainment was only thing that kept her sane. The past month had been hectic and for once it hadn't been due to work. Kristen and Emma had been waiting for their tenth birthday and nagging Maura about it. In turn Maura had been nagging her.
Jane heard Joe jump of her bed and walk from her room, giving a small bark as she signled for the bedroom door to be opened.
How long have I been brushing my teeth?
Jane looked at her reflection, she puzzled to herself.
She rinsed out her mouth and discarded her tooth brush in the designated cup. Jane smirked Maura had bought her that for 'hygiene'. Jane saw nothing wrong with leaving it on the lip of the sink, but to please Maura she'd agreed.
Jane flexed her toes on the cold tile of her bathroom floor, she really needed to get some slippers.
The morning light spilled through the gap in Jane's bedroom curtains, hitting her line of sight, blinding her when she stepped out of her bathroom.
Jane dodged the light quickly to avoid another flash of red and blue dots in front of her eyes and continued to get dressed, not before letting out an impatient Joe.
Her draws screeched as she pulled them open to retrieve clothing to match the day, it seemed cold but sunny. Jane smiled to herself buttoning up a white blouse that she'd plucked from the innards of her wardrobe.
Kristen and Emma had started 5th grade two days ago. She remembered the night before, Maura had rushed around trying to get them new clothes, Kristen had showed a resistance unbeknown to all of them. Jane chuckled at the fact the girl had ran and hid next to Bass for half of the night while Mara tried to get her to try on the clothes.
Jane's phone buzzed, making a loud rattling on her bedside table.
"Rizzoli" she picked up while pulling on a pair of socks.
"Jane, could you take the girls to school?" Maura's voice flooded down.
"A good morning would have been nice" Jane remarked, smirking while she spoke, jamming her phone between left shoulder and left ear.
"When do you want me round?"
"Now?"
"They don't go to school until eight"
"I want you to come around here for breakfast, it's awkward with you living in your apartment"
"Don't start this again"
"I'm not starting anything"
"You are, your going to drop the whole 'if you lived with us'"
"It would be easier"
"Maura..."
"Can you just make your way round?"
"Will do... Maura"
"Yes Jane"
"Good morning"
"Good morning to you too"
With that the two women ended the calls and Jane tossed her phone on to her bed and continued dressing.
"Mom, do you know where my jacket has gone?" Kristen ran past, skidding across the floor happily due to the lack of friction the wooden floor possessed against her socks.
"Don't skid!" Maura scolded snapping her head around from making their lunches.
Emma sat eating contently swinging her legs.
"It's fun" Kristen took a gallant run up and skidded to the door.
"What are you doing?" Maura stopped and eyed Kristen.
"Opening the door, Jane knocked"
"How do you do that?" Jane's voice drained in as Kristen opened the door.
"Well you knock hard, three times, other people have a lighter touch" Kristen stated a matter-of-factly.
"Right" Jane noted and hugged her. "Morning kiddo" Jane walked to the kitchen and raised her eyebrows. Maura was happily humming while packing their lunches.
"You look good" Jane winked at Maura and kissed Emma on the forehead.
"Can you two not do that in the place where people eat?" Kristen complained returning from her room clad in a red hoodie with a white zip and toggles.
"I thought we agreed you wont wear that?" Maura sighed and Jane stood back and watched Maura go all motherly. A part of her loved it, the other half still wasn't used to it, even after four years.
"But it's nice"
"It's thread bare, you wore that all last year" Maura complained and Jane smirked. "I blame you"
The smirk was wiped of Jane's face.
"Why?" Jane defended her voice rising in pitch.
"You influence them, you always wear those dirty converse at the weekend"
"There comfortable!"
"There gross"
"They work" Jane crossed her arms and winked at Kristen in support. Kristen smiled in return.
"Fine, you can wear it but if I see a hole in it, it's going" Maura warned and cleaned up the plates from breakfast.
Emma slid off the seat and brushed past her sibling.
"Hey, whoa, hold up, you've grown" Jane wafted her hand to stop Emma. The girl grinned smugly at Kristen.
"What?" she shrieked at forced Emma to stand next to her.
Maura rolled her eyes, this had become a common occurrence. They all knew Kristen was going to be taller than Emma, but Jane had grown fond of teasing Kristen about it and constantly saying Emma had advanced in growth faster than Kristen.
"Oh yeah, she's a giant, you midget" Jane mocked levelling their heads with her hand.
"That's politicly uncorrected Jane" Maura crossed her arms.
"What? Oh, I'm supposed to say, you hight challenged individual" Jane dead panned, making Emma giggle.
"I could just say stumpy" Jane shrugged, chuckling. Kristen and Emma joined in laughing at their Mother's facial expression.
"Okay, that's just plain rude and offensive!" Maura warned and Jane walked over to the disgruntled woman. Placing her hand on Maura's hip and the other on the counter trapping the woman, Maura was rendered silent. Jane nuzzled her neck. A mock puking nose sounded from behind them.
"I'm not eating for a week" Kristen announced and dragged her sibling to their room.
"Don't Jane" Maura couldn't help but expose her neck further to Jane's relentless trail of kisses.
"Why?" Jane purred and Maura instinctively wrapped her hands around the back of Jane's neck.
"Because, the girls are in the house, awake and if you continue, they'll be late for school" Maura hummed her words and Jane pressed her lips to the M.E's.
"They can go a day with out education I'm sure" Jane kissed Maura fluidly and ran her hand slowly up the woman thigh, hitching her dress up to stroke the skin that lay under the garment.
"Missing a day off school is proven to... decrease attention... span... education... Jane..."
Jane grinned wickedly at silencing the google mouth and continued tease the M.E.
"What time is it?" Jane nibbled on Maura's ear lobe and glanced over to the clock. "Quarter past seven... we have time"
Maura whimpered and ran a hand through the Detectives hair.
"Jane" Maura leant and whispered in her ear.
"Yeah" Jane planted a long kiss on Maura's lips before letting her finish.
"We have attracted attention" Maura was smiling and Jane around to witness Bass looking at them, with his head lifted staring at them.
"What the hell?" Jane raised one brow and let go of Maura. "Your tortoise is a pervert"
"Maybe he's lonely" Maura's voice became sad. Jane pinched the bridge of her nose.
Good help me with this woman.
"Maybe" Jane gave a look of mock proposal "he wants food" Jane dragged out her words. Maura walked out and patted Bass on his shell.
"I'm ignoring you" she quipped back to Jane who had taken comfort in a mug of coffee and happy distraction from Maura's affair with her tortoise.
Emma came bounding out of her room, bag slung over her shoulder giggling at something.
"Whatcha finding so funny?" Jane asked, stirring her coffee.
Kristen walked up behind her and rolled her eyes.
"A Sloth" Kristen dead panned.
"What?" Maura glanced up from cooing at Bass.
Emma held out a picture of a baby sloth and made puppy eyes.
"I want it" Emma stuck out her bottom lip and jumped up and down. Jane looked at Maura as if to say this is your problem and continued drinking her coffee.
"We'll take you to the zoo" Jane cut in when Maura looked as if she was about to suggest taking her on holiday to get one.
"Jane!"
"What?" Jane looked up and Maura was looking at her like she'd used Bass as a Curling rock.
"They don't have a licence in Franklin Park for a sloth enclosure"
"Well what do you suppose we do?" Jane huffed and set her coffee down.
"Girls, we'll talk about this later" Maura smiled at the pair, Emma was still grinning stupidly at the picture.
"Right now" Jane looked at the clock. "It's time for me to take you to school"