The first draft of this got lost in the void (Still a bit peeved about that) however here it is (again, in my eyes). I've been re-watching Rizzoli and Isles and this little idea came to mind.
Lots a Lot a Love, Kandikitty
I Do Not Own Rizzoli & Isles
Angela "Ma" Rizzoli
Angela Rizzoli- the proud matriarch of the Rizzoli clan, knew before anyone else. She watched them grow together over coffee in the precinct, family dinners, and forced outings. Jane caved at every turn, never easily but always did, whenever the lovely Dr. Maura Isles was involved. From running a marathon to fancy events where a dress was a must- Jane always caved.
Angela was usually one to meddle she wanted her girls to be happy but this was different. She knew she couldn't force them into this. No this was something new and special. She wanted them to find out on their own, to grow at their own pace. Heavens were they growing. They moved in sync with one another, always standing close, sitting close just simply being in each others presence brought a look of calm to both of them. No Angela couldn't bring herself to meddle. Not that that didn't stop side comments or a bit of light teasing. Today was such a day that she thought her girls could use a little bit of playful banter just to get their minds moving in the right direction.
Angela and Jane had spent all morning in the back yard planting new flowers and weeding out the unwanted plants. Finally taking a break around noon they stepped inside. Maura smiled at them standing from her spot on the couch where she had come to relax after yoga. "How's the garden?" She instinctively went to get Jane a glass of water.
"Beautiful! It's going to look just wonderful. How was yoga?" Angela stood at the sink washing the dirt from her hands.
"Rather quite without Jane there this time." Maura teased handing Jane the glass.
"Ha. Ha. Next time I'll be sure to liven it up for you." The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the fridge.
"Now that you built up an appetite how 'bout some lunch huh?" She smiled softy watching their movements.
"After all that I better be getting lunch!" Jane huffed receiving a light tap on her forearm from the ME.
"Jane be nice. Do you want some help Angela?" Maura already started moving to wash up as well and help wherever she could.
"What? She drags me out her at the crack of dawn complaining about tulips or something-"
Angela keeps talking like Jane hadn't said a word "That'd be lovely hun, you know you are going to make an excellent wife one day."
Jane huffed again moving to sit at the island.
"Do you really think so?" The young doctors eyes lit up.
"Oh yes much better than my Janie," she emphasized her daughters name making sure she could hear her "She scares off all the nice men in her life with her rugged personality. If she'd just be a bit more lady like I'm sure she'd already have someone!" She could hear Jane's 'Ma' but smiled to herself knowing what was coming next.
"Oh I don't believe that to be true, Jane maybe a little rough but beneath her...several layers of gruff exterior she is rather sweet. I believe it's their loss they don't wait around long enough to see that side of her." The faint blush didn't escape the mothers knowing eye.
"Gee thanks Maur." Jane's voice came from closer this time, grabbing a beer out of the fridge.
"Isn't it a bit early to be drinking?" Maura commented looking up from the veggies she was slicing.
"If I have to keep listening to you two talk literally behind my back no, no it is not." She was standing almost directly behind the doctor "What's for lunch?"
"If you're gonna be in here you better help!" Angela pointed a stern knife at her only daughter.
"Alright alright I'm moving!"
Yes Angela knew. She saw it coming the first time her Janie brought the girl home for Sunday dinner. She also couldn't be prouder to have Maura as her daughter-in-law when that time came.
Francesco "Frankie" Rizzoli Jr.
Frankie just beats out Vince and Barry. He'd never seen his sister act the way she does with Maura. The only time she'd seen her give up sleeping in on a day off was if Ma pestered her enough to do odd jobs for her, but she barely fought Maura when it came to mornings runs, yoga or any activity now that he thought about it. At first he just chalked it up to Jane never having a friend like the ME, they were almost exact opposites so maybe Jane was just compromising to be a good friend. Then it struck him one night at the Robber. Everyone was unwinding after a long week, he went up to the bar to get another beer and while he was waiting he could see it as he looked back to the table. Lit up by the florescent lights, the two were somehow lost in their own world even surrounded by this many people. Jane's arm was resting on the back of the booth, Maura slightly leaning more toward her then not. It hit him like a bullet to his vest. How did he miss that?
"Francesco Rizzoli you are not to say one word!" Angela hissed over the bar sliding his glass to him.
"But Ma-" He pointed to the table.
"I know now hush!" She slapped his hand down "Not one word, you hear me young man?"
"You knew?!"
"Of course I knew I'm your mother. Not a word, hear me? This is not something to meddle with. I like her and if we push, it might scare her away."
"Ma she's lasted this long. I don't think anything can scare her now." He took a drink still shaking off the news.
"Have you seen your sister? Lord knows I lover her but she ruins everything good in her life."
Frankie was left with his thoughts as his mother went to go help someone else. He sat there a little longer watching the pair. Yeah Janie had a bad habit of running people out of her life when they got too close... but Maura? Maura fought back just as hard, he wasn't worried. By the way they were together just now he knew it'd work out. He knew Maura would make sure of it.
Maura Dorothea Isles
Dr. Isles was almost last to know, second only to Jane. Not ever having close female friends she accredited a lot of their behaviors to just that, friendship. Somewhere along the way that line was blurred. The soft touches and the want for the detective to be in her eye sight at all times. She craved Jane's presence more than could be justified by only friendship- there was something deeper. Maura knew because of that day. The day she almost became one of Hoyts victims. Maura still had nightmares surrounding that event, but Jane fought him off even in her subconscious. Her voice horse, more gravel then husk, screaming 'don't touch her' followed by the crackle of the stun gun was usually when she woke up. Her eyes adjusting in the dark just able to make out the frame on her night stand- she and the Rizzoli clan during one of the many Sunday dinners. It never failed to bring her back down to reality.
The happiness that filled her in the most mundane of times was a feet only Jane made happen. She wouldn't call it love, no it was much too early to say that but she knew she felt something strong for the eldest Rizzoli child. Not knowing how to approach the subject with Jane herself, she figured the matriarch she had grown to love as her own might have some insight. Half scared out of her wits and half full of hope, Maura went about her usual routine of making tea for herself and Angela while also preparing the coffee pot for whichever other Rizzoli would be gracing her home in a few hours.
"Good morning hun." Angela greeted simply sitting at her usual spot at the island. "You look troubled, did you not sleep well?" Ever the mother Angela knew when her kids weren't okay, even Maura, a thought that once again filled her heart.
"In truth it was a restless sleep." Angela knew about her nightmares so Maura nodded when the usual concerned look took over "They are much less frequent now. However I...came to a realization recently and I'm not too sure how to handle it. It is well out of my comfort zone, I was hoping you might have some insight that could assist me?" Maura tried to keep her voice even but some worried crept in at the end.
Once Angela caught up with what the doctor was trying to say she took a deep breath "Oh thank God! I didn't know how much longer I could take it." She sighed her shoulders seeming to have a weight lifted off of them. "You girls are so dense I didn't know if you'd ever figure it out, even Frankie beat you to it." Laughing lightheartedly Angela went to start breakfast.
"What?" Maura was stunned at the off handedness, it wasn't what she expected. Not to mention the knowledge that she herself had just figured out seemed to be common as half the Rizzoli clan knew.
"Vince and Barry too. They started making beats on who'd realize it first. I'm pretty sure Vince won that." The matriarch smiled pointing a whisk at the ME. "Oh but back to Janie, I love her but she is clueless. Don't worry about whatever it is going through your head. You two are meant to be I swear by it. Do you want chocolate chip or blueberry pancakes?"
The normality of Angela's rambling soothed over most of the reservations Maura had on her feelings for Jane. Her stomach still flipped as one does when thinking of the one you hold dear, bringing back feelings from her teenage years. Attraction, was an interesting thing- like looking at life with rose colored glasses, everything was just tinted with something...lovely.
It took awhile but Maura knew, now if only she knew how to get Jane to come to this point as well.
Jane Clementine Rizzoli
Jane was a great detective, she knew as such and was told so often. Yet when it came to her personal matters she was clueless. With men it was easy, they were upfront about their attraction to her. And with her catholic upbringing she never really thought of women as an option anyways, so unless she was actually in a gay bar she never really saw anything women did as a flirtatious act. That's just how women acted, right? Honestly she wouldn't know that either. Growing up she really only had male friends, that stretched into her adulthood until Maura. The ME never ceased to change Jane's mind about well everything. As soon as she thought she had the woman figured out something knew would happen. It kept her on her toes, she liked it.
Honestly Jane should have known first. She should have seen all of the signs- how when they fake dated around Giovanni it made her happy, how she would do anything the ME wanted, even more so how she didn't like anyone touching Maura. That last point always made her skin crawl. Jane knew that wasn't normal but chalked it up to being a protective friend and after Hoyt... she couldn't help herself but be precautionary right? Add all of that up with the joking remarks around the precinct, Jane should have known.
A full month after Maura had realized her feelings had gone by, not much had changed. Well that wasn't true. Jane knew something was different. Maura went out of her way to talk to Jane. As well as small gestures seemed to be happening more often- dinner was brought to her when she worked late, coffees in the morning, small things but more often. Jane didn't mind in the slightest. What she did mind was the jokes had ramped up and Maura was now playing along! The detective was glad only her ears blushed because this was getting to her.
"Knock it off." Jane grumbled shoving Frankie lightly. The siblings were sat at the Robber nursing a few beers after a relatively easy day. "What is with everyone?"
"What do ya mean?" Frankie questioned hiding a smirk behind his glass. Ma said not to meddle but Maura wasn't being blunt enough. He just wanted to help... and if that meant getting a rise out of his sister as a bonus, who could blame him?
"You, Korsak, Ma, even Frost! Everyone of you have been doing that shit."
Frankie noticed her red ears and chuckled. "Can you blame us? You two are practically married! I think this is the first time I've seen you without the doc in days!"
"She's my best friend, and we work together." Jane countered shifting in her seat.
He looked at his sister. Really he knew she was clueless but this clueless? "You're kidding me..." He mumbled. "Janie how the hell are you a detective?!"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
He didn't know what to say, he couldn't tell her could he? No it wasn't his place but damn if Maura didn't just say it Jane wasn't ever going to know. Luckily he was saved by Maura calling Jane.
After the call ended she slammed what was left of her beer "This conversation isn't over." She warned before leaving, and leaving him with their bill.
She was outside the ME's house in no time flat, not that it was necessary Maura told her not to rush. She couldn't help herself though. She always rushed if Maura was involved. In the kitchen Maura was plating food out of take away containers from Jane's favorite restaurant. "Smells great." was her greeting as she took a seat at the island.
"I told you not to rush." The doc smiled retrieving a beer from the fridge for herself and Jane.
"You said you had dinner!" Jane defended. They sat at the island just talking about their days, the case they just closed, like any other time they ate together it was nice. Jane told Maura what Frankie said and visibly seethed. "Where does he get off telling me that?" she aggressively ate one of her remaining fries.
Maura laughed she knew, but she was still building the courage. "Do you know what he was talking about?"
"Not a clue! I was just complaining about how they..." She trailed off taking in where she was and what she was doing for the first time. Her thoughts raced through how Maura had been acting, how everyone had been acting. It broke through like jumping in a cold lake. Holy fuck she knew. She drank her beer slowly. Trying to digest this news. "Maur we're fucking dating aren't we." It wasn't a question more like an informative statement.
"Well I wouldn't call it that since neither of us consented to it." Her eyes were shinning.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Her hand went to grab the ME's squeezing it like a life line.
"I wanted you to come to your own conclusion. Though Angela said you may never." Jane shot her a look of disbelief, Maura had talked to Ma about it? But the doc continued anyways "I was concerned...You may not feel the same way and that's why the topic was never brought up."
"I thought you were the brains here." Jane chuckled moving toward her favorite person.
"And I thought you were the detective." Maura countered placing her hand on Jane's cheek accepting the advance.
So Jane knew. It took her longer than everyone but she knew and if she were being honest she wouldn't have changed it. That moment was perfect and every moment they shared after that never escaped her. They were offically together- not that it changed anything too much. More spending the night at each others places, more touching, no more fake dating. They were happy. Jane knew from that moment on Maura was the one she wanted to be with and in a very Jane way made sure Maura knew that.