Disclaimer: Don't own them, just having a little fun with our favorite girls.

The Cookbook

Bzzz, bzzz…

God not again… I open my sleep filled eyes to glance at the digital clock on my dresser. Sigh. That's the second time in the last 5 minutes that my cell phone's buzzed and unfortunately, it's only a little after six in the morning. It's my day off, not that it matters in my line of work, but if it were something job related that was that important, Maura would've gotten a call too… and since Maura's currently burrowed along my side breathing heavily on my shoulder, I'm assuming the annoying caller is my mother.

Maura…

It should feel weird somehow, lying in bed so intimately with my best friend… *ahem*, my best female friend, but fortunately for me it doesn't feel that way at all.

I don't know how we get ourselves into these positions… we hang out at my place or hers and at about 1am, one of us is usually too tired to drive home and we end up spending the night. I don't have a guestroom, and I refuse to let her sleep on the couch when she stays here, so that's my excuse for us sharing a bed… and although she has a guest room - and a guest house - one of us usually comes up with some lame excuse to share her bed anyway. I just need to be near her right now, and I think something inside of her is telling her she needs to be near me too.

Frankie and I almost died… I was stupid or heroic enough to shoot myself in order to put an end to that fuckers killing spree, but seeing how panicked Maura was when I fell to the ground… I never thought I would ever see her so broken. She was in a frenzy, tears running down her cheeks at a steady pace while her hands pushed down against the rush of blood threatening to spill from my stomach. I could hear her plea for my survival over broken sobs with gods she's never in her life been foolish enough to believe in. I broke both her heart and mine that day, and I promised myself that if I survived all of this, I'd never hurt Maura again as long as I lived and breathed… I vowed to make as many new memories as possible with her in order to protect her from the awful ones I know she remembers so clearly.

Bzzz, bzzzz…

Oh… wow… The noise from my cell phone must've subconsciously startled Maura because the second it buzzed, her arms clung even tighter to my body and her leg managed to stake claim to it's resting place between my own. This is so not good… the placement of her thigh was beginning to make the muscles inside of me pulse, which is a feeling I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing in a very long time.

Jane, you haven't had sex in forever, your only reacting to Maura because she just happens to be the one in your bed right now… just move a tiny bit and shift her leg over, riiight there…

Bzzz, bzzzz…

Ok, that's it, I have to answer the phone or else she'll never stop calling.

"What the hell is it ma?" I whisper gruffly.

"Is that any way to answer your mother? If your grandmother were alive to hear the way you speak to me she'd show up at the precinct and break a wooden spoon right over your ass."

"I'm sorry ma, but it's hard to curb the attitude at 6am when your crazy mother wont leave you the hell alone and let you sleep in on your day off… so tell me mommy dearest, what's so important that it can't wait til later?" Maura snuggles up even closer to me and the feel of her warm breath tickling my neck sends shivers down my spine… I've never been ticklish before, then again, I normally don't have anyone breathing so softly on my neck like this either.

"Well, I'm sorry too, but I wanted to talk to you before you made other plans… your aunt called last night and she's coming over the house later today with your cousins and a few of their friends. Frankie's coming too, and I think he's inviting Vince and Barry… I'm gonna have a barbecue this afternoon for everybody and I need to know when you're coming and if Maura's gonna come with you too… not that I mind, I actually want her here, she's a good influence on you and she saved both of my babies… at the very least I owe her a free dinner every Sunday for the rest of her life."

Sigh, my cousins are such stereotypical douche bags and I'm sure their friends aren't any better. It has been a while since I've seen my aunt, though.

"Don't sigh Janie, need I remind you that your aunt happens to be my sister and your godmother, so out of respect for her and for me you better have your ass here by 3pm. And it wouldn't hurt to slap on a little make up, your cousins are bringing their friends and you never know when you'll meet Mr. Right."

"Ma, I don't need you to set me up, believe me, I'm very happy where I am right now… and I'm sure the guys they're bringing are exactly like them, so don't push the subject or I swear to you, I'll come to the barbecue dressed like a man."

I feel Maura's fingertips move in a lazy pattern along the length of my collarbone… god, her hands are soft.

"Janie, I just want to know that when your father and I leave this earth, that you have someone that loves you just as much or more than you love them, someone to grow old with, someone who respects and cherishes you… and I wouldn't mind having a couple of grandkids before I croak either, so why not give one of the guys you meet tonight a shot?"

"That's it ma it's settled, I'm wearing a tie to the barbecue… I tried to warn you and if you keep pushing it I'm drawing in a mustache and making everyone call me John."

That's when I heard a sleepy yet strangely coherent ramble…

"Mmm, you'd look perfect in that fitted pinstripe shirt you wore to work last week with the dark grey tie I saw in the back of your closet. Oh, and the jeans I bought you for your birthday. No boots though, it's too warm outside and your feet are going to generate a profuse amount of perspiration in this heat, so wear those flat Gucci sandals I picked up for you when I went to that conference in Tampa. They'll be stylish yet functional and I know how much you like practicality. I'd forget the mustache, though… and why did you choose the name John? I think Jace would be more pleasing to the ears and much easier for people to remember if you were making the transition from Jane to Jace rather than from Jane to John… it's simple assonance on a smaller scale. Hmm, and that was alliteration."

"Who is that Janie?"

"It's Maura ma."

"Hmm, Maura's with you… put her on the phone ."

I turned my head towards Maura an whispered softly, "I'm sorry, my mom wants to talk to you."

Maura's eyes sparkled when they opened… "Good morning," she said to me with a smile before grabbing the phone out of my hands. I couldn't help but smile back at her goofily.

"Good morning Mrs. Rizzoli."

"Please, call me Angela or mom sweetheart? I couldn't stand my mother in law and whenever people call me Mrs. Rizzoli it makes me want to vomit.."

Maura let out a shocked laugh… I'm sure my ma was just being her usual charming self by saying something inappropriately funny.

"I'll remember that for next time. So what can I help you with, is everything ok?"

"We'll get into specifics later, for right now I just wanted to invite you to a barbecue later this afternoon. It's at my house, just family so it's nothing fancy, but we'd really love it if you came."

"Are you sure you want me to attend, I wouldn't want to intrude on an intimate family get-together.?

"You are family Maura, I see how good you are to my Janie, how much you care for and cherish her… you've changed her in a good way."

"I could say the same for myself..."

"Like I said, you're family honey, so I expect you at the Rizzoli's at 3pm. And listen, you being in my daughter's bed at 6am just about proves my theory right - trust me a mother always knows - so I hope to see you at every Sunday dinner from now on miss."

I watch closely as Maura's eyebrows knit in confusion.

"What do you mean by theory?"

"You and my daughter, I see it in the way you look at each other when you think no one else is watching, the way you never left her side at the hospital, the way you're probably lying with her right now. Whether the two of you realize it yet or not, there's a reason why you're snuggling up in bed with my daughter and why she truly doesn't seem to mind. I heard you ramble through the phone as clear as day Maura, so you're either lying right next to her or literally on top of her, and no one gets that close to Janie unless she wants them to."

Maura's looking up at me, studying my face… I wonder what the hell my mother's saying to her?

"I think I should clarify the nature of that relationship Mrs. Rizzoli, I mean mom, uh Angela…"

"Mom's fine sweetie and you don't need to clarify anything for me, you and Janie will tell me when you're ready to see it for yourselves. At least now I know why she wont date any of the guys I try to set her up with… tell her I'm sorry and I'll stop doing that… and I'm sorry to you for disrespecting you by doing that too. Crap! Frank's calling me, I have to run sweetie, give Jane a kiss for me and tell her I expect to see both of you at three. Bye!"

Maura flips the cell phone shut and I can see that there's a mixture of shock and amusement displayed across her features before she calmly rests her head against my shoulder once again.

"What did my mother want?"

"She wanted me to give you this…" Maura places a gentle kiss on my cheek which sends a rush of blood back to the parts of my body I thought I gained control over just a few minutes ago. "And she said I should come with you to the barbecue because I'm already part of the family."

"You are.. at least to me."

My comment earns me another languid kiss that's much different from the last. Maura licks her lips and places them fully on a rather sensitive spot on my collarbone. Her lips are partially open, just enough for me to feel the heat and moisture in her mouth… god, her lips are so soft.

"She also said she's going to stop setting you up with random men that you obviously have no interest in."

"What? How did you get her to do that? You barely said two words over the phone."

"Apparently, she believes we're in the midst of embarking on a more intimate relationship with each other and she apologized to me by saying that she never meant to disrespect me in such a way. I'm actually quite flattered that she apologized to me for something she didn't even do, and I'm even more flattered that she deems me worthy enough to date her daughter… regardless of the fact that I'm obviously lacking the proper anatomy that would provide her with the grandchildren she so desperately craves."

"Oh my god Maur, I'm so sorry, I don't know where she got that idea from… I mean people at work talk about me all the time, they assume one thing without knowing anything at all, but my mother? I sure as hell wasn't expecting that one."

"Jane I don't mind, like I said I'm flattered, really and truly. She said it became apparent to her because of the way we interact with each other, in the way we look at each other. To be honest, I'd probably come to the same conclusion if I called my daughter at 6 in the morning and came to find that she's cuddling in bed with another woman. Its only natural for people to draw their own conclusions when they're given bits and pieces of the truth to work with. Please don't come down on her for this Jane, her comments were innocently made, there wasn't a shred of malicious intent when she spoke to me. If you'd like, we can call her back now or clarify things for her when we see her later today."

"I'll tell her after the barbecue. If I can keep my cousins friends from hitting on me or you because they think that we're together, then I guess this could work to our advantage. My cousins are probably gonna be gawking at you all night. Trust me, you don't want them and their asshole friends badgering you for a date."

"Language Jane."

"So tell me Maur, Do you mind pretending to be my pseudo girlfriend for the day? Why am I even asking, you're using me as a body pillow like you do most nights and mornings… we're as comfortable as two people who aren't together together, can get."

"I don't mind Jane, but you know I can't lie to save my own life."

"It's not lying Maura, it's acting. And it wouldn't be that much different than how we normally act when we're alone… hugs, cuddles, and our usual touchy feely-ness… we'd just be acting that way in a more public setting. I doubt my mother's going to break out the rainbow flags and tell everyone at the party that we're gay together so how about this: we'll act as we normally would, which obviously already leads people to believe we're dating, and leave the rest up to their own imaginations. But, if I need you to help me get rid of some unwanted attention, you have to promise me that you'll come to my rescue… I'll do the same for you."

"Fine, I'll agree to those terms… we need a gesture or signal just in case someone manages to corner us without reinforcements. How about an ear tug?"

"No, that's too much like baseball and kind of out of place… how about a raised eyebrow?

"You raise your eyebrows a bit much honey, it might be confusing for me to decipher whether or not I'm supposed to rescue you or if you're just annoyed at whatever stupid comment someone just made to you. And either way, I'm an acquired taste Jane, I doubt your cousins or their friends are going to have any interest in me once I open my mouth."

Honestly, if I see someone get even remotely 'familiar' with Maura I'm gonna knock their fucking teeth out.

"Maura, you're gorgeous and my cousins, especially Anthony, are a bunch or horn dogs, trust me, they'll be interested in you."

"Thank you, I think… how about we text each other instead, Jane?"

"That could work, but it could get iffy… let's text and/or use your code: babe."

She's laughing, I love her laugh…

"Good, then it's settled… now let's go back to sleep, I need my beauty rest if I'm going to spend the day indirectly lying to your family and quite possibly defending you honor against those unruly marauders you speak of."

Some people think that the queen of the dead can't possibly be funny, but I've grown to love the subtle sense of humor I've helped her cultivate.

"Ok, doc, wake me up if you open your eyes before I do."

"I will. Sweet dreams Jane…"

"You too Maur, you too."

It's 2pm and Jane's out walking Jo Friday as I put the finishing touches on my hair and make up.

Earlier this morning she warned me about her cousins and insisted things might get a little crazy with the Rizzoli clan: "trust me maura, you don't want to wear a dress in this crowd, my cousins are going to act like disgusting pigs if you show them a little leg, and since you're pretending to be my potential girlfriend for the day, I don't want to have to crack any of their skulls for trying to hit on you. If my ma's observations led her to think that we're together, my cousins are most likely going to think we're hittin' it in the bathroom whenever we're not with the rest of the group, and I don't want to add to their fantasies"

'Hittin it'… I didn't know what that term meant exactly and my furrowed brows and confused expression had given that away. Jane quickly said… ", hittin' it means having sex Maura".

For some reason, the thought of Jane and I being intimate in her parents bathroom was slightly arousing. Bathrooms are disgusting cesspools of germs and disease, so that alone makes my stomach coil, but… I find Jane very attractive, and although I told her she wasn't my type, I can't deny the fact that I admire her strength, beauty, charisma, courage… the list of adjectives that in my mind represent Jane positively would easily fill a book as thick as a Stephen King novel.

But I digress… I agreed to the jeans Jane insisted I wear as long as she left the choice of top up to me. I decided on my dark blue/grey jeans that I picked up in London last fall… they're boot cut and fit snugly in all the right places with the hint of spandex allowing for maximum body cling as well as comfort. For the top, I wanted to keep it simple as it was a barbecue after all… I settled on a white ribbed tank (or wife beater, as Jane so affectionately calls them) that I borrowed from Jane ages ago and never returned. It was a bit small for me in the chest area, but if she and I were going to do this right, I wanted her cousins to see that she had a certifiable Betty on her arm.

Oh my god, what if one of her cousins asks me directly about having a boyfriend, girlfriend, or about seeing Jane in particular for that matter?

I can't lie, and deflecting those kinds of questions before Jane could come to my rescue was most certainly going to test my improvisational skills. Pretending to be Jane's potential girlfriend, even if just for tonight, was going to be one of the hardest challenges of my life. I can't lie, and I especially can't lie to Jane's immediate family. They've welcomed me in as a daughter and accept me as I am, strange quirks and all, so the last thing I want to do is make them look like fools. And sadly, even though it's not true, I'm secretly hoping that Jane and I can just live in this fantasy and act out all I've thought about since we first woke this morning: Jane and I… together.

It's apparent that other people see something more than friendship brewing between Jane and I… neither of us sees it, but it's obviously there. Perhaps if I were on the outside looking in I might come to the same conclusion that Angela herself had come to. Jane and I spend every waking moment together: we work together, we have lunch together, we go out after work together, we spend most nights and weekends at each others homes, we share a bed whenever we spend the night together, and as of late, we normally end up in a tangled mess of limbs when we wake up in the morning… so, as such, I believe I stand corrected… we actually spend every waking and sleeping moment together.

In all honesty, I wouldn't have it any other way because I get to see a side of her that no one else ever gets to see. I see the soft and emotionally vulnerable side, the side that comes to me in the middle of the night because she's had a bad dream… I love that soft side to her, just as much as I love the 'in your face I'll rip your heart out if you cross me' side to her. I cherish every second I spend with Jane… even more so since the shooting. I value the seemingly unbreakable bond that we've forged over these last few years, and I know that without question, if necessary by her standards, she'd gladly lay her life down for the betterment of my own… I love her, I need her and I crave that warm fuzzy feeling that creeps into my belly whenever she's near me.

Wait, what?

Ok so there is more going on between us than I realized, or at least there seems to be something more on my part. Do I find her attractive, smart, funny, genuine, sweet and any other word that one would use to describe their ideal? Yes, of course… gender aside, she'd be the one… and as a matter of fact, she may already be.

"C'mon Maur, let's go!"

The sound of Jane's voice reverberates through me, pulling me out of my thoughts abruptly.

"Coming, just putting on my shoes!"

"No heels!"

"What? I already agreed to your ridiculous no dress rule, so yes, I'm wearing my Gucci's. The tannish brown ones with the matching belt and purse. What are you wearing, I thought we could subtly match our outfits."

"Just hurry up Maur, Jo's giving me that pathetic 'take me with you' look and I just want to get on the road already before I cave and drag her to my mother's house."

I stroll out of my bedroom and find Jane trying to avoid making eye contact with Jo Friday.

"I'm here… maybe we should just take her with us?"

I place my jacket on the back of the couch and look up at Jane who's now staring at me blankly.

"Earth to Jane?"

She's still staring…

"Is there something wrong with my outfit?"

Still no answer… she's making me feel insecure now so I glance at myself in the mirror one last time hoping that I wont find anything wrong. My makeup and hair look flawless, the accessories I have on work seamlessly with my outfit and color scheme, and the light jacket I picked up last week makes for a cohesive addition to my final ensemble. The jacket's tan color complimented the beige and browns found in my accessories, the military style collar makes me look a little like a badass and the general cut fits as if it were perfectly tailored to my body. When I saw it in the window, I couldn't deny myself, I just knew I had to have it.

"Jane, say something, please!"

"Sorry, you look beautiful… really Maura, just beautiful… only you could make a tank top and jeans look classy."

I can't help but blush at her statement. She's complimented me before, but she's never stared at me so intensely… the look in her eyes was making my heart flutter, I felt desired, admired, and my most intimate areas felt like they were on fire. She too looked gorgeous and it took everything in my power to hold myself back from pulling her in for a hug or possibly more. Had Jane looked at me that way? Dare I even entertain the idea?

"Thank you Jane. The shoes, belt and purse are all from the same collection… I love these neutral tones, they work well with my hair and eye color, so I just had to buy the set. You look beautiful… and our colors match subtly, how cute."

Jane had on a light brown tank top and a white button down shirt with only a few buttons clasped. The sleeves were rolled up almost to her elbows and as usual, she kept her accessories simple wearing a watch, a pair of sunglasses and a pair of small silver hoop earrings. She had on causal but form fitting jeans and a pair of light brown corduroy thong sandals that exposed her pedicured feet. It's amazing how even when Jane kept things simple, she still managed to look simply ravishing.

I'm definitely in for a long night.

I grabbed my jacket and turned back to Jane. "Are you ready to go?"

'Um, yeah… I'll drive. Should I leave Jo here or take her back to my place or the party?"

"Whatever you'd like to do is fine… wait Jane, where's your tie?" I have to admit, I was very much looking forward to the seeing her wear a tie. Not only for the jibe at societal norms, but also… I was certain that Jane was going to look incredibly sexy if she added it to her ensemble.

"I must've forgotten to grab it before I left… plus, it's grey so it wouldn't really go with the color scheme we seem to be favoring today. The last thing I want to do is upset my high maintenance girlfriend, she might cut me off and I hear that sex is essential for the mind and body's well being," she said with a smirk.

I try to tap Jane's shoulder with a little force in retaliation for her teasing. Her reflexes are too keen and grabs my hand milliseconds before it reaches it's intended target.

"Now, now sweetie, I don't want to have to tell my mother that you've turned me into a victim of domestic violence, she'd rip your head off if you ever lay a finger on me."

I drop my hands form Jane's grasp roughly.

"Jane! How could you say such a thing? Take it back, take it back right this second!"

"Whoa, Maura I'm sorry, really", she said, studying my face before pulling me in slowly for a hug.

"I was just kidding, don't be mad… please?"

I looked up at her, our faces only inches apart.

"I'm not mad, I just didn't find it funny and I overreacted… I could never strike you and I can't bear having that thought placed in my head. I know you were kidding, I'm sorry too."

"I'll stop teasing you like that."

"If you keep teasing me to my tipping point I'm going to tease you back, and believe me, I'm not a force to be reckoned with either." I tried to believe what I was saying, that I could actually get Jane's brain to 'skip' with words much like she did mine.

"Aww, isn't that cute, you and what army love muffin?"

"Am I sensing a challenge in your tone detective?"

I grab Jane a little roughly by her shirt and inch so close to her lips that our breaths are intermingling. Her breathing's uneven and I notice a slight shiver run up her spine… suffice it to say, I no longer doubt Jane's attraction towards me, I feel it in this moment too. Before I know what's happening, my lips press against the corner of her mouth and linger there wanting to savor every moment. The kiss is obvious enough to cast doubt in it's innocence, yet chaste enough that it would be tactless to call it out as more than friendly. I back away from her and gaze into lust filled eyes that were surely a reflection of my own.

"Trust me babe, you can't even begin to imagine what I'm capable of."

I utter that last sentence with a dazzling smile and turn around heading for the front door. Once I reach the driveway, I notice that Jane still hasn't walked outside to join me. She emerges about thirty seconds later looking strangely energized and locks up using the set of keys I'd given her months ago.

"Ready Jane?"

"Yep."

"Everything ok babe? "

I was enjoying the delicious torture I seemed to be causing Jane… I'm not normally a teaser, but this natural banter between Jane and I is out of my control.

"Everything's just fine sweet cheeks", Jane says as she stands next to me, grabbing a handful of my backside to lead me to the car… "sorry for the delay, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor."

Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter, I'm not sure how many I'll end up writing, but I'm thinking maybe 4 or 5 long chapters will be enough to flesh out the story. Let me know what you think =o)

- J