Hello this is my first Rizzles fic, I hope you like it.
She sprinted along the pitch, the ball at her feet. Juggling it between her left and right, she raised one leg behind her. Pushing it out to her front, she kicked the ball square on in the middle. It soared through the air, finding itself at home in the back of the net.
"Woo!" Maura cheered, turning to face her team mates as she sprinted back along the pitch towards their goal. The whistle blew and the match was over. They had won the game.
"What was that?" came a jeer from the small crowd. "You call that soccer? No wonder they stopped letting girls play professional!" the voice laughed.
Maura's eyes searched the crowd quickly, landing firmly on a tall, attractive woman.
"What did you say?" she shouted back.
"I said, you girls can't play soccer! You might wanna try something else, like lacrosse," she confirmed, slowly.
"Lacrosse?" she said to herself, walking over. "If you're looking for lacrosse, try over there!" she pointed, rolling her eyes.
"What was that move you tried to do just after half-time? Tackle yourself?" she laughed, referring to forty minutes earlier when she accidentally tripped herself up with the ball.
"If you know so much about it, why are you standing on the other side of that line? Come onto the pitch and show me how it's done!" she sneered, annoyed that she had the nerve to be so opinionated in public. Hopeful she'd join her, so she could wipe the filthy smirk off her face.
"Why not?" the woman leered, stepping over the line and pulling the ball quickly from under her nose.
"Hey!" she called, chasing after her as she twisted and turned around, keeping the ball at her own feet.
"Can't catch me now!" she grinned, racing up the pitch towards the farthest goal.
"Bet I can!" she screamed, dashing after her, just in time to stop the ball from rolling past the goal line.
"Argh! Lucky!" she bellowed, chasing after her as she continued back down the pitch with the ball at her feet.
"Lucky? It's called skill!"
"Well you've obviously not got any then!" she laughed, then pulled the ball back from under her feet.
"Hey! I'm the best player in this school!" she told her. The girl stopped for a moment and laughed. Using the opportunity Maura stole the ball from under her feet and quickly kicked it into the back of the net.
"You distracted me with your comment." she told her.
Just excusing her own bad skills for my distraction, she thought to herself.
"For a moment I thought you said you were the best player in the whole school." the woman laughed.
"I did." Maura assured her.
"No, you're right, best of a bad lot," she commented. Maura glared at her for a moment. "Anyway, I'm off."
"See you around then." she laughed.
"It's Jane, Jane Rizzoli. Goodbye soccer girl." she sniggered.
"It's Maura Isles!" she frowned, as Jane walked off the pitch, leaving her alone with the ball.
x
The team raced around the soccer pitch as a preliminary warm up for practice. Jane watched from the sidelines as Maura sprinted ahead of the group. She was eager, somewhat too eager. She stared as her bright blonde hair glistened in the sun.
She's beautiful, she thought to herself.
"Bring it in!" she shouted a moment later, the team looked in her direction noticing the unfamiliarity in the voice. They looked amongst each other confused. Maura took one look at her and grimaced.
Why is she here? She found herself wondering.
"It's okay, come on girls!" Jane shouted, motioning for them to walk towards her. Maura followed at a slow sprint as the rest of the team raced towards her.
"Now, girls, I am your new coach." Jane said once everyone was crowded around her. There was a mixture of feelings, most seemed fairly happy with this appointment. The few girls, especially, who couldn't help but discuss Jane's dazzling appearance.
"You've got to be joking!" Maura hollered, a distaste appearing in her tone.
"Well I'm sorry you feel that way soccer girl." Jane commented, noticing her standing at the back of the crowd. "But that's the way it is."
"There goes my college career," Maura muttered.
"Now, I don't think some girls should play soccer…" Jane told the team, unafraid to tell them her feelings. Her comment was followed by a few disgruntled disagreements.
"Well, there's no way we're going anywhere!" Maura bawled, which led to the girls agreeing.
"Hold your horses ladies." Jane chuckled. "As much as I would love to kick you off the team, it's gotta be based on skill. So in the meantime, I'm stuck with you!"
"Well Halleluiah!" Maura jeered, glowering at Jane.
"Now, we've already wasted five minutes talking…let's get some practice in!"
Jane shouted orders to the team and a moment later they ran off across the pitch to complete the paired work she had directed them to carry out. Walking in between the pairs she analysed each player for a moment or two in her mind, then walked off towards another pair to do the same.
At the end of the practice, Jane constructed a short match to evaluate each player's movements during a game. She split them into even teams.
"I want you to play as you would play a normal match. Keep your focus, score as many goals as you like. Just don't think it's a bit of fun. I'm using this game to evaluate each of you as a player. Now, let's get playing!" Jane shouted, blowing her whistle.
The action kicked off with Maura on the ball, she dribbled it down the pitch with one aim; to score a goal. Barely looking up Maura kicked the ball, forcing it into the back of the net. Her team screamed cheers at her. But Jane wasn't impressed. She blew the whistle and the game went back to the middle. The other team managed to keep the ball for all of five seconds, before Maura stole it from under them. She sprinted, dribbling the ball along the ground, dodging the defence to score a second goal. Soon enough a third and fourth goal were added to her score sheet and Maura's adrenalin was pumping.
"Soccer girl, you're off!" Jane screamed after a fifth goal was scored.
"WHAT?" she bawled, angrily, sprinting to the sideline where Jane stood with her replacement. A moment later she blew the whistle and the game was off again.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Maura screamed, turning Jane's attention off the game and onto her.
"It's a team sport Soccer girl, not a one man band."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, annoyed.
"It means, there's no I in team…but you make an I." she snarled.
"You're saying I'm a selfish player?" she asked, shocked by her tone.
"I'm saying, you can kick a ball around, but you can't play soccer."
"If I can kick a ball around, then, why can't I?"
"Sure you can kick…but you can't play as a team. Soccer isn't about one show off prancing around the pitch like a fairy in soccer boots. Soccer is about teamwork, using your team-mates skills to help you get to the goal."
"I scored five goals…what's wrong with that?" Maura bellowed, glaring at Jane.
"You scored five goals, but you were the only one playing the game."
"I thought you said I couldn't play?"
"You can't, but when you're the only one on the pitch doing any work…you're playing a lonely game."
"What are you on about?"
"What am I on about? I'll tell you what I'm on about…girls like you are exhibitionists. You take the ball and you make a run for it. No one goes near you because they know nothing will stand between you and that goal. You're lucky, you're not a soccer player. You don't see the boys doing it, no, they actually play like a team. Maybe you need to watch some professional soccer!" she pointed out.
"Like I've been saying all along Maura, girls generally can't play. But most of all, you can't. You're off the team!" she chuckled.
She glared at her for a moment.
What an idiot! She thought, before throwing her fist into her nose.
x
It took a very heated discussion in the principles office for Maura to get back on the team, but with a five match ban for punching Jane. She wasn't happy about it. But it was easier to agree than risk being kicked off the team altogether.
A few days later and there was a second practice, Maura had been banned from attending until she apologised to Jane, something she wasn't looking forward to doing. But she still went along to watch.
Wow. Maura thought to herself as she watched the warm-up. Jane peeled off her shirt, showing off her tanned chest and a sports bra-style top. She couldn't help but stare as she flexed her muscles then led the warm up.
What are you doing Maura? Stop it. She laughed, finding an unwanted attraction to Jane fizzing inside of her.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" Jane stopped and glared over.
"Just wanted to see how your nose was going on." she grinned, analysing her blackened eyes beside her broken nose.
"Ha-ha." she shouted sarcastically.
"I also wanted to tell you, you're leading the warm up incorrectly."
"Am I now?" Jane asked, frustrated at Maura's presence.
"Yes, you are. Want me to show you how it's done?" she chuckled, walking over to the group.
"No thanks Soccer girl, I'm the expert here, remember." she told her.
"If you're the expert then why are you letting Franky and Simone do their warm up all wrong?" she rolled her eyes as Jane's glance travelled to the two girls at the back, who obviously weren't following the warm-up routine.
"Franky, Simone, what are you doing?" she shouted, as they turned their attention back to the front.
"We're warming up." Smith answer, idly.
"That's not a warm up, it's a circus routine. Pay attention!" she snapped, then glared at Maura, who was grinning from ear to ear.
At least she listened to me, she thought.
"You really do need some lessons in warm-ups." Maura continued. Jane stared at her for a moment.
She is really beginning to get on my nerves, she contemplated.
"Jenny and Mercy need to work on their hamstrings, not their biceps. As for Georgie, she needs to work on her biceps and not her triceps. I thought you'd know all this stuff!" Maura giggled, then walked away.
"Hey!" Jane shouted, running after her.
Why does she impress me so much? Jane wondered, unable to leave the argument where it was.
"What now? Come to say I'm right?" she grinned.
"No, I've come to say…Maura, I'm the expert, you're a player. I don't care if you think you know best, what I say goes!" she turned around and walked back to the team. Maura sat on the sidelines for a few moments watching. It wasn't obvious at first, but Jane had followed her instructions, even though she said everything she could to avoid admitting she was right.
x
Five weeks and five games later and Maura is finally allowed to play. She hadn't apologised to Jane, but somehow was allowed back into practices. The morning of the game arrived. Maura and her two closest friends, Andi and Shaw, arrived at the soccer field an hour early for a kick about.
"Come on, you can do better than that!" Maura shouted as Shaw dribbled the ball hopelessly down the pitch. She was on the team, but she wasn't any good at soccer. Probably what Jane was on about.
"I'm trying." she laughed, stumbling over her own feet. Andi ran in from her left side and stole the ball neatly from her feet. Andi was by far the best player on the team, besides Maura. She had a glide about the way she moved that made everyone stop to watch her. It gave her chance to push the ball gently past Maura and into the back of the goal. She picked it up and ran out with it down the pitch, heading closer and closer to Andi and Shaw. Shaw ran to the goal where she was a lot better at handling the ball, just in time to stop the ball from falling behind the line.
"Bad luck!" she called and threw the ball out for Andi, who caught it on her chest.
"I think we should call it a day, it's already 10:30." Maura told them, pulling the ball into her arms.
Shaw and Andi followed her off the pitch towards a bench on the sideline where they rested for twenty minutes, until the rest of the team arrived.
"This is it, one of the big ones. You know this school has the best team in the league. We need to win this match to be in with a chance of winning the cup this year." Jane advised in the pre-match speech. Maura couldn't help but chuckle at her sincerity and determination.
She certainly is passionate, she couldn't help but notice.
"I want Hallie and Lot up front, Shaw, I want you in defence like we discussed. Jamie, you can join her. Soccer girl, I want you on the bench."
"WHAT? WHY?" Maura demanded.
"I want to see how we go without you. I'm still not sure whether it'd be a good idea to have you play. We need this match to be full of team work." Maura snarled at Jane's comments. But did as she was told, silently.
The first half was miserable. The other team scored three goals within the first fifteen minutes. Somehow the BCU Wildcats managed to avoid several more goals being scored due to fantastic ball handling from Georgie.
"Right, this next half is critical, we need goals and we need them now!" Jane demanded of her team. Everyone looked warn out, their passion lost in the failed first half. She needed to lift their spirits, but it was a difficult task. She closed her eyes and she made a tough, but possibly critical decision.
"Soccer girl…you're up." she whispered.
Maura ran out onto the pitch with the rest of the team, glad to finally be out there.
"COME ON!" Jane shouted as the other team got the ball. But they weren't aware for what was to come as Maura almost bounced out of nowhere and stole it from under them. It took them a moment to realise they'd lost the ball, in that time Maura was almost half way up the pitch and approaching the goal.
"GO FOR IT SOCCER GIRL!" Jane screeched, hoping her selfish playing would benefit their team.
I've got to score, I've got to show Jane I can do this. She kept thinking. Slowly she pulled her foot backwards and bang, hit the ball right in the centre causing it to cruise through the air, over the head of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
"YES!" Jane screamed, grinning from ear to ear.
That was impressive, Jane found herself thinking, despite her previous feelings over Maura's skill.
Within twenty minutes Maura had hatched another two goals onto her belt. The score was tie and there were only minutes left. The referee blew his whistle and the other team got the ball. Maura ran up the pitch towards defence as far as she could go. Thankfully the ball came back to their team and it was kicked hard in the direction of Maura. With only a minute left she didn't have long to get up to the goal. Turning with the ball at her feet she ran, dribbling all the way. She could see the ref. in the corner of her eye looking at his watch, he raised his hand about to pull his whistle to his mouth. There was no time to get any closer to the goal, so Maura pulled back her leg and kicked the ball with all her power.
Jane watched as it moved, as though in slow motion, through the air and as though it was from a film the ball landed firmly over the line as the referee blew the whistle for full time. Thanks to Maura, they had won the match.
Wow. Jane thought to herself, she couldn't help but stare at Maura. She wasn't exactly a team player, but with ball skills like she had, it didn't seem to matter. She must have covered at least a third of the pitch with that shot and it still managed to land in the back of the net.
She's one hell of an impressive player. Jane laughed to herself as the team jumped around her in celebration.
x
"Come on Lone Ranger!" Andi shouted as Maura trailed slowly behind her and Shaw. Lone Ranger was a nickname the team had for Maura, Andi, in particularly used it.
"Huh?" Maura whispered, glancing up to find Shaw and Andi staring back her, obviously waiting for her to catch up.
"Come on! We'll be late for psych!" Shaw frowned.
"Sorry." she laughed, nervously. She had a lot on her mind. Since winning the match, a few days before, there was only one thing she could think of. Jane. She hadn't seen her since the post-match discussion, since she'd been busy with the junior varsity team.
"Come on guys, hurry up!" someone shouted from the doorway of the psych room. At the sound of her voice Maura looked up. Jane stood with her hand on the door, looking impatiently at them as they stumbled down the corridor towards her. As her eyes met Maura's, they lit up.
She looks amazing today, she thought subconsciously, then cursed herself. She was always doing that, thinking about certain students. She'd done it at the last school she coached at. She knew it was wrong. Being only a few years older than most of them, in reality they could go out on a date. But being their soccer coach and occasional teachers aid, she was in a position of power. It was wrong.
"Hey Soccer girl." she whispered as Maura reached the door. "Great game on Saturday." she commented, grinning slightly. She smiled back, silently and entered the room.
Sitting down at the nearest possible seat Maura felt her legs go wobbly. Jane had never smiled at her like that before. It was different, it was gentle…it was seductive. She almost cursed herself for obtaining a crush on her coach.
She is my soccer coach and that is it, she thought to herself, trying to stop thinking about her.
"I have been given some worksheets for you to complete. Professor Buck will be here in thirty minutes to start the class." Jane said, as though she was reading instructions. She looked around the room as she spoke, her eyes landing upon Maura's. She quickly looked away, feeling herself get more excited by the site of her star player. When she wasn't on the soccer pitch her hair hung loosely around her shoulders and shone beautifully in the sun.
NO! Jane thought. She hit herself gently on the forehead, annoyed at herself for getting too emotionally attached to the girl. But she could feel her eyes piercing her skin.
Why is she staring at me? She wondered, closing her eyes as though she was suffering from a migraine. Maura watched her, her eyes closed. She looked in pain.
I hope she's alright, she contemplated, then cut her thoughts off before she could continue them any longer.
"Fraud," she whispered, trying to concentrate on the paper in front of her.
x
The next match wasn't far away. Jane was becoming a little more comfortable with the team and Maura was getting some control over her increasing feelings for Jane.
"Look, Coach Rizzoli." Maura began before the match. "I just wanted to apologise, for breaking your nose."
It was something she hadn't wanted to do. But after a few weeks, getting used to Jane's ways, she understood her a bit more. Plus, she felt bad for hurting her, she was sweet really, even if she was an idiot at times.
"Just get out there Soccer girl!" she grinned, once again cursing herself for thinking of Maura as more than a team member.
"This game isn't so major, but it's still important." she told the team. "We need a win to make sure we're safely in the top spot of the league. But if we don't win, it's not the end of the world. Just go out there, stay focused, do your best. Most importantly, have fun." she grinned, for the first time showing a more laid back side. Jane stretched, her shirt riding up slightly, showing off her stomach. Maura took a deep breath to try and control her mind. But she couldn't help but stare at the bit of naked skin exposed.
Maura ran out into the middle of the pitch. The whistle blew and Maura took the ball from under the feet of the other team. She leapt down the pitch with the ball in her control, the goal her only aim. She could see Jane on the sidelines watching her move. For a moment her attention turned to Jane as she looked fearful. She frowned, confused by her reaction when she was staring right at her. Until a moment later she realised why as she turned back to the ball and came face to face with someone almost jump onto her. There wasn't enough time for her to jump out of the way as the woman's large, built arm landed firmly in her chest. She let out a scream of pain as she tumbled to the floor on her front.
"ARGH!" she screamed. Jane and the rest of the team ran out to her as she managed to sit up, the referee and a first aider quickly by her side.
"Maura?" Jane shouted, concerned, kneeling beside her as she clutched her side. "Are you alright?"
"No." she managed to say.
"I think you may have broken your rib." the first aider told her.
"Jeez!" Jane shouted. "See why some girls shouldn't play football?" she snarled, angrily.
"Come off it Jane, this could have happened to anyone!" Maura managed to say, through pain.
"No, this is why you shouldn't play! You got distracted and you got hurt. I'm keeping you on the bench from now on."
"You can't do that!" she managed to shout, though it hurt too much.
"I can and I will."
"You'll be on the bench for a few matches anyway with this rib." the first aider commented. Jane almost grinned at this news, whereas Maura glared at her.
"You know what Jane, I take my apology back…I'm glad I broke your nose!" she grumbled, annoyed.
How could I feel so strongly for someone so egotistical? She wondered as she was helped off the pitch.
x
Maura woke up early on Saturday morning a few weeks later, her rib had healed nicely and it was getting much easier to move. There was no match, so there was a practice scheduled, as they were playing the second hardest team in the league the very next weekend. She ran down the road, knowing practice was due to start any second. It didn't take long to sprint there, it was only down the road from the sorority house.
"Come on Soccer girl!" Jane bellowed across the field as Maura came into view. She knew she was late, albeit would only be a few minutes.
"I'm here, I'm here." she shouted, joining the back of the warm-up.
Within twenty minutes they were doing tackling practice. Paired up, each person took turns to dribble the ball along a small course and the other would try to tackle them. They had an odd number, so Maura was stuck with Jane as her partner.
"What are you doing there Soccer girl?" she laughed, rolling her eyes at the way she dribbled the ball.
"I'm still asleep." she glared, making excuses.
"Shush, give me that damn ball. I'll show you how it's done!" she told her, taking the ball and dribbling it down the small course. Maura took this opportunity to try out her best tackling skills. She almost skidded in beside her and tried to steal the ball. But Jane blocked her and she tripped over her right foot, pushing her to the ground and landing firmly on top of her.
I reached my hand out, pressed it steadily onto Jane's chest. I leant forwards, letting my whole body rest over her chest. I could feel Jane's arms wrap around my shoulders.
"You're beautiful." she whispered, stroking my cheek carefully with two fingers. I stared deep into her beautiful brown eyes as our heads moved towards one another. I knew it wouldn't be long now, then it happened and Jane's lips pushed gently against…
"MAURA?" Jane shouted.
"What?" she whispered, dreamily.
"Get the hell off me!" she snapped, pushing her gently off her.
"Oh, sorry." she blushed, scrambling to her feet, with the thought of the lingering kiss Jane was about to give her in her daydream. She felt disappointed that she hadn't left her for a moment longer to experience it. But then again, a dream was never as good as the reality.
She took the long way home, trying to clear her head. It was only a small patch of land, but in the dark it was slightly scary. Cars often parked up on the edge of the trees closest to the house, so it was hardly surprising when she saw the small, blue car parked with no sign of the driver in the front seat.
"I care about you Lucy, of course I do." Jane whispered, stroking the girls hair from her face.
"Then why are you saying no?" she asked, looking somewhat fragile.
"I, well, I don't know." she stuttered.
"If you care about me, then you'd want to sleep with me."
"Please, Luce, don't say that. We shouldn't rush into this." she carried on, carefully trying to put her off the subject.
Maura walked by the side of the car. Inside were two people, in the back seat. It was obvious what they were up to, it was a usual spot for college kids with nowhere else to go. Hearing a familiar voice she stopped for a moment, unable to avoid staring at the dark haired woman inside. It was Jane.
"I love you Jane, please."
"I just don't want you to regret this in the morning." she sighed, taking her hands carefully between his own fingers.
"I won't regret a thing." she grinned, leaning forward into a passionate embrace with Jane.
It was too much. How could Maura watch Jane kissing someone who looked barely a year younger than herself. She was unfamiliar, meaning she probably went to another school, but either way. That girl was younger than she, why was Jane with her when Maura felt so strongly about her. She ran home the rest of the way, her heart skipping several beats with every thought of Jane. Her injury may have caused a frost between them, but she still cared deeply about her, even if she didn't know it.
I climbed into the car with Jane, resting my back firmly on the backseat. She climbed in after me and lay across my body. We were so close, I could almost feel her breath on my neck as she leant nearer to me. Resting my hand upon on her cheek I let out a deep breath.
"I love you." I whispered, wanting to kiss Jane more than anything. But she stopped me. Her finger found my lips before I could lean up.
"I love you too Maura." she grinned, leaning forwards and making my dreams come true. Her lips were so soft upon my own, her now naked body felt strange against mine. But I loved each moment of it. It was special. I knew Jane was getting excited, I could feel it. Then it happened and our bodies joined as one. I could feel the car moving as we held each other closer still, until we began falling down and down. I feared for my life, until I woke up in a pool of sweat, my bed sheets skewed between the floor and my body. I looked around me, coming face to face with the bottom of my bed. Somehow I had fallen out of it in the night.
Looking up at the clock, it was six am. There was no way Maura would get back to sleep, so she got up and had a cold shower.
x
Two weeks pass by and Maura is not seen, nor heard by Jane or the rest of the soccer team. Andi and Shaw are the only ones to really see her, except others in classes.
"Come on Maura, what's going on?" Andi asked, after Maura accidentally admitted there was a reason she wasn't attending practice.
"Yeah Maur, you're the best player. We need you, come on! You've got to tell us what's wrong so we can frost someone out and move on!" Maura chuckled. Shaw always was rather ditzy, she didn't seem to understand feelings very well.
"I just don't want to play anymore." she whispered, barely looking at them.
The practice that evening was difficult, they had a tough game in only three days and their star player was missing. Andi and Shaw worked their hardest, so did the rest of the team. But it was hopeless, without Maura's passion for the game everyone else seemed to lose their enjoyment of the game.
"That is it!" Jane screamed, calling the team in for a talking to. "What is going on out there? Why isn't anyone even trying?" she asked, frustrated.
"Without the Lone Ranger we're nothing." Franky called.
"Yeah!" half the team joined in.
"Come on girls…Maura's missed tons of games, practices, why are you being like this today?" she asked, shocked by their reason.
"This game is massive Jane." Georgie began. "It's bigger than usual…we need this game. It's been bad enough losing the last few not having Maura playing. You know she's our only hope of staying at the top."
"I know." Jane sighed. "But come on, there's nothing we can do about it! If she won't turn up, she can't play."
"But…"
"No buts, come on everyone. Just try and practice a bit more. Ten more minutes and we'll call it a day. I'll have a talk to Maura and see if I can get her back here." she rolled her eyes.
Why is she doing this? Jane wondered, frustrated by Maura's sudden lack of commitment to the team.
x
"Maura?" Jane shouted across the courtyard a couple of days later. She took one look at her and wanted to run, but it was too late.
"Oh, Jane." she whispered.
"Oh Jane? Is that all you can say? Come on Maura, where have you been?"
"Around." she told her, vaguely.
"Why haven't you been at practice?" she gnarled, getting annoyed by her fidgety actions.
"I just haven't." she murmured.
"Come on Maura, why not?"
"I guess, well, I guess I realised you were right." she began, avoiding her eyes. "Some girls can't play soccer. End of." and on that note she walked off. Jane stared at her.
What? No. Maura…don't…I love you. She thought, then cursed herself for realising she was getting too much out of her depth.
x
Jane walked around for a while, thinking. Her thoughts had announced something she wasn't aware of.
Do I really love Maura? She thought.
Either way, there was nothing she could do about it.
How can I? I'm her soccer coach. Why is she backing down so easily? She loves soccer. She wouldn't just give it up.
The next day she arrived at lunchtime practice early. A couple of the girls from the team were already there. They immediately jumped on her.
"Hello Jane." Nicola called. She was a nice enough girl, but she couldn't help compare her to Maura.
"Did you persuade Maura to come back to practice?" Chantelle asked.
"No, I didn't." she began. "I just don't know what's wrong with her, why she's…"
"She's got a crush on you." Chantelle giggled, Nicola joined in immediately.
"What?" she asked, not wanting to believe what she was saying.
"It's true, well, it's obvious anyway. Maura's never really had feelings for anyone before. But the way she looks at you…"
"What?" Jane laughed, trying to act as though the thought was unthinkable.
"It's true." Nicola confirmed. "Everyone's noticed it."
Jane immediately called off lunchtime practice and made her way towards the courtyard. She had to speak to her. If what Chantelle and Nicola said was true…
Maybe we can be together. She thought.
Well, being her coach she couldn't do anything about it. But she had to confront her. If she cared about her like they said she did…
Then we could make a go of things.
Well maybe they could sort something out, discuss their feelings and move on.
Maura had to be there, in the courtyard. It didn't take long for her to spot her in a corner with Andi and Shaw.
"Maura?" she whispered, stepping up to her.
"J, Jane?" she stuttered, looking up.
Great! Don't tell me she's here to ask me to re-join the team…again! She thought, rolling her eyes.
"Andi, Shaw, practice is off. But I'd like you both to go down to the pitch and take the balls inside."
"Aw, but, it's lunchtime!" Shaw growled.
"Just do it!" Jane rolled her eyes as she led Maura into a small unused classroom.
"What is it, coach?" she asked.
What should I say? Jane thought, her mouth getting dry.
"The thing is…Maura."
"Why do you keep saying that?"
"Saying what?" he asked, confused.
"Maura…you've been calling me Soccer girl since you met me." she nodded slowly, but gave no answer.
"I was wrong, you were right." she began. "You girls can play soccer. And despite what I've said in the past about your skills…you're the best player on the team. We need you."
"WHAT?" she shouted. "Is that it?"
"What do you mean is that it?" she asked, feeling let down.
"Is that all you called me in here for? To tell me you want me on the team? Is that all you see me as? A soccer player?" she snarled, her emotions taking a strong hold of her heart. After all they'd been through, all she felt. All Jane saw her as…was a soccer player.
Why can't you love me like I love you? She thought, her heartstrings tightening.
"No, of course not. You're more than just a soccer player Maura." she whispered, plucking up the courage to tell her how she felt. But she couldn't. "You're the best soccer player on the team!"
"The best player on the team?" she screeched. "That's it?" she laughed, through tears.
"I'm sorry." Jane told her, trying her best to find the words she needed.
"Sorry?" she began. "Ab…" she couldn't handle it anymore. She needed to tell her.
"I know you like me."
Well, it's a start. She laughed inside.
"I, what?" she whispered, taken aback by her knowledge of her feelings.
"I know, okay. I know that's why you left the team."
"But…how?" Maura sighed, feeling a massive weight lift from her shoulder.
"Because I feel it too." she murmured.
"What?" Maura asked, shocked that she said such a thing. She waited for a moment, waiting for Jane to tell her they couldn't be together. But instead she leant forwards and kissed her passionately.
"Whoa." Maura grinned as Jane pulled away.
Maybe she won't tell me it couldn't happen after all. She thought.
"No." she cried. "I can't. I'm your coach. We can't do this. This goes no further." she muttered, fleeing from the room.
Maura stared at the door. Her dream had come true in one moment, but in that same moment her dream was ripped away from her.
"I love you." she shouted as Jane's body disappeared through the doorway.
Jane turned around and walked back into the room. "You love me?"
"I do." Maura cried.
"I love you too."
She grabbed her and kissed her, her hands pulling her in close as they kissed and kissed and kissed.