The idea for this story has been floating around in my head for a while now. It's loosely based off a Steve Carrell movie called Dan in Real Life…(hence the name) but of course infused with angsty RIZZLES. I did like the way they met so I kept that part.
As always, I own nothing but the keyboard and IPad I'm writing this on but do give thanks to the ones that created R&I and DiRL.
Hope you like it…Enjoy!
Jane in Real Life- ch. 1
She had just crumpled up a Funyuns bag and threw it in the back seat…then took a long swig of her lukewarm coffee.
"I'm tired of sitting here." She said. "He's not coming home, he's probably off porking his mistress somewhere."
"I know right and there's definitely somewhere else I'd rather be, no offense Rizzoli." Her partner said.
"Aw, what's the matter…you don't wanna spend the night with me? Davies, I'm crushed." She smirked.
"You know I love you but there is someone else I'd rather be spending the night with." He grinned stupidly.
She grunted, "Ugh, you are such a sap. I didn't know you were seeing anyone." She said honestly. "When did you meet him?"
"Four weeks ago…but I knew after only two days." He grinned at the memory. 'He's perfect for me, everything I've been looking for in a partner."
"Two days…you know that it's impossible to fall in love with someone in just two days right?" She was astounded at that possibility. "Well just be careful, love is a dangerous feeling Cameron."
He half turned in the drivers seat and just stared at her.
"What?" She said, under his glare.
"Love is not a feeling Jane, it's an ability." He said, in his most sincere tone.
"You know you really don't need to tell people you're gay Davies, when you say shit like that...you sound worse than a girl." She laughed.
"Oh that's the pot calling the kettle black…with some of the shit that comes out of your mouth Rizzoli." He returned the laughed.
R&I R&I R&I R&I
Fourteen months ago, Jane Rizzoli left her hometown of Boston, Massachusetts for a position with the FBI. They had called her one day out of the blue and extended an invitation for the FBI training academy. They wanted her in their agent program, she reluctantly agreed. With her previous experience, she could be expedited through the program and earn her shield quicker than most. Her work spoke for itself and she quickly move up the ranks and earned herself a "Special Agent" shield working white collar crimes.
She had been a detective her whole adult life but decided she wasn't getting any younger and her mother was constantly worried about her. She knew her mother would be happy with the decision, even though she wouldn't be able to see her everyday. It's not that she completely regretted it but if she was being honest with herself, she did miss Boston along with her family and friends. She hadn't really dated much in this time, so her life consisted of spending her days with her partner busting the rich assholes of America and her evenings with dinners for one in front of the television. But it was what it was.
Her younger brother Frankie called her one day to discuss her thoughts on them throwing their mother a surprise birthday party, she was all over that. It would be the perfect present…well one of them anyway, her mother was going to be ecstatic.
It was Frankie's idea that they would all stay at the house like old times. He had already requested the week off, as did Jane. Their other brother, Tommy would also be making the trip down from Chicago with his wife and son for the week as well. It's like they were fifteen again, they were planning their week, which for sure would involve football and basketball games. Jane couldn't wait, she was "jonesing" for some family time.
R&I R&I R&I R&I
Jane had made it to Boston with time to spare. Frankie, Tommy and Jane had agreed to meet just outside their childhood home at five o'clock; it was now just three thirty. Jane had left a little earlier than normal, just in case traffic was bad, so now she had time to kill.
She called Frankie, he was still at work but she didn't want to swing by the station today. There wasn't enough time to really see every one and play catch up. Since the ones she really wanted to see were coming to the house tonight anyway, she would just see them then.
She went for a walk on the pier for a bit, she always did enjoy watching the birds soar against the clouds and the boats cascading across the waves. It was very relaxing. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard a bell. Pulling her back, she turned towards the sound. It was a local bookstore that she didn't recall ever being there. She decided to go in and look around, she always did like the little "mom and pop" shops.
She was perusing various hardback books, when the bell over the door signaled someone had just entered. She looked up and saw the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on. She was petite with long blondish colored hair. Her skin-toned colored dress hugged her curves in the most delicate way and the high heels she was wearing accentuated her calves perfectly. Jane was immediately in awe of this creature but didn't want to get caught staring, so she diverted her attention back to the books. For some reason she started picking up the ones that had been just haphazardly strewn about.
She heard the woman try to ask the cashier a question but he was currently on a personal phone call and ignoring her.
They connected eyes for half a heartbeat, before Jane grabbed another book and turned away.
After a few moments "Excuse me, ma'am, would you mind helping me." Jane heard.
She turned around and stalled. All she could think to say was "Not at all."
She placed what was in her arms on the nearest table and started walking around trying not to bump into things.
"I'm looking for…a book…obviously." She half laughed at the last word, she was almost shy about it, it was extremely endearing.
"Anything in particular?" Jane asked trying not to stutter, as she turned the corner shelf.
"Something that can help me deal with… Umm…what might be an awkward situation." Her finger trailed over the nearest book within her reach.
"Oh…ok, uh…what kind of situation." Jane was suddenly nervous.
"Well, something with humor might be nice but not necessarily big hahaha laugh out loud funny, and certainly not making fun of other people but rather something human funny." She followed the brunette around another shelf, then continued.
"And if it could sneak up on you and surprise you. But at the same time make you think, that what you thought was not only right in a wrong kind of way but when you're wrong, there's a certain rightness to your wrongness." Still trailing after her, as Jane was selecting specific books.
"Um" Was all the brunette could get out. This person was extremely close to her and she suddenly couldn't breath. She had a bashfulness and uncertainty about her that made the Agent want to throw her arm around her and shield her from anything and everything.
"Well what I mean is, I guess more importantly…I'm looking to be swept up and the same time…no…I mean…I want to feel a deep connection to...something. Well…maybe…I don't know what I'm looking for." For some reason, she couldn't stop rambling. She suddenly appeared embarrassed and insecure…and vulnerable.
"Well in my experience, you rarely find it all in one book…maybe that's why there are so many." Jane was flustered, this woman was still so close.
"So, what do we have?" The blonde asked, looking at the armful of books the brunette had acquired.
"Well, we have a potpourri of possibilities." She looked at all the ones she accumulated.
"Potpourri" she repeated, smiling as it rolled off her tongue. She liked that.
Jane started listing the names of all the books she had in her possession. They varied in genre and the authors ranged anywhere from A to Z. She handed them one by one to the shorter woman as she repeated the titles. She liked the names of them although most of them she had never heard of. Some of the titles even made her laugh.
"These are funny." She chuckled at the brunette.
The last book Jane held up was titled 'Everyone poops.' " Now this is funny." She looked at the blonde for a few seconds waiting to see her response, when none was given. "Maybe it's not that funny." She mumbled, suddenly thinking she may have just offended this woman.
The blonde giggled, "No, that is funny, very funny…and very true actually." As she took the book. She splayed them all out. "Now if you had to only pick one." She asked the taller one.
She picked up one and responded, "I would have to say nothing rivals...the romance...of Fishbait." They both fell out laughing. "I'm sorry, to be honest I just walked around and grabbed whatever I could find." Jane gave the deepest smile that showed off a spectacular set of dimples.
The blonde couldn't help but return the smile, showing off her very own cute dimple.
With every movement that came from this woman, it was pulling Jane in deeper and deeper. She knew she was in trouble.
"Excuse me ma'am, did you find what you were looking for." The clerk interrupted them.
"I think I will take them all." She scooped them all up.
"These were just suggestions." Jane couldn't believe this woman was about to purchase every one of them.
"You'll make sure she gets the commission…yes?" She asked the employee.
"She doesn't work here." He replied.
"Well she should." She couldn't believe she just inconvenienced this woman. She stopped and just looked at her, suddenly a slight smirk appeared. "Well aren't you sagacious." She gave her a subtle once over.
"Actually I'm not…sagacious…at all. Sorry...I'm Jane." She bowed her head and grinned an apologetic look.
"Maura." She smiled, as she extended her hand.
"Hi." She said, as she accepted the handshake.
When their fingers touched, they both were silently aware of the feeling that passed between them. They just stared at each other for a moment, hands still engaged.
"So Maura, may I make it up to you and buy you a coffee?"
"If you make it a tea, then you have a deal." Giving Jane a smile like no other.
They walked a few doors down to the café where Maura got a table and Jane ordered their drinks. She came back with a green tea, a black coffee and a small bag.
"I ordered a blueberry muffin, would you like to share it, it's huge?' She pulled out napkins and forks.
"I am a big fan of utensils." Maura commented picking one up, as Jane pinched off some and tossed it in her mouth. "And you are not, I see." She giggled.
"Sorry." Jane mumbled through the crumbs.
The blonde just watched the brunette's coffee ritual, she added more sugar than there was liquid. She just laughed.
That sound caught Jane's ears, she wanted to hear it over and over again.
"What's so funny?" She flashed those dimples again.
"Nothing, it's just…I see you like a little coffee with your sugar." Giving the cutest smirk Jane had ever seen.
"Yeah, I guess I do." Returning the smile, as she flicked her bangs out of her face. Maura noticed she did that frequently.
They spent the next forty five minutes just talking about nothing in particular.
Maura had asked Jane what she did for a living. She just said she worked for the government. When Maura inquired further, the brunette's response was "I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you." Earning a sexy smile and a wink in the process.
The blonde blushed.
The conversation flowed smoothly between them, it never stalled or felt forced. They had this easiness between them like they have known each other for years…as opposed to just one hour.
"So you're telling me that you're one of those secretive government officials that preys on unsuspecting women in local book stores." Showing off her own dimple, as she rubbed her fingers just below her bottom lip. Jane thought that was sexy as hell.
"It seems that would be me." Returning a toothy smile.
Maura was enjoying her company so much, she completely lost track of time. It wasn't until her phone chimed out, signaling an incoming call.
"Sorry, please excuse me. I need to take this." Giving her a most apologetic look.
"No problem." Jane grinned.
She saw the time on the phone display before she answered it. "Oh my, is that the time? I'm late." She said as she answered the call. "I'm just minutes out." She quickly responded before she hung up. Standing up, gathering her belongings "I am so sorry, I have a prior engagement but I was having such a wonderful time, I lost track of it." She truly sounded apologetic.
"I wish we could keep talking." Jane said, as she was cleaning up the table. Throwing the trash away and holding the door open for Maura to walk through first.
"It was nice and a bit usual meeting you." Maura replied, as she stepped out into the fresh air.
"Where are you parked?" The brunette asked her company, she wanted to walk her to car just to spend a few more minutes with her.
"Over here." She automatically headed that direction.
"Maybe I can call you sometime?" Jane was hopeful as she kept pace with her.
"That might be a bit awkward." The blonde said honestly.
"Cause you're in a relationship" Her voice screamed disappointment.
"Yes…It's a new one." She almost sounded sad herself.
"I guess I would have found that out, had I not been doing most of the talking. But that's not really fair, that you know more about me than I know about you. I don't want to go through life wondering about the woman in the bookstore that let me do most of the talking." She was trying very hard, she couldn't seem to let her go. They had a connection. She knew it and she was pretty sure Maura knew it as well. "All we'd be, is two people finishing a conversation." She was hopeful.
Jane opened the car door for the blonde, as she got in. Sitting behind the wheel, she stopped as if in mid thought.
"Ok, no harm in that I guess." She dug out a pen and paper, wrote down her number and handed it to the brunette. "Call…or don't, but…call." There's that one dimple again.
'God, she's killing me.' Jane thought to herself. "I will." She said as she closed the door.
Maura gave her one last sweet look as if it was only meant for her, she put the car in drive and exited the parking lot, leaving the brunette to just stare at the vapors the car left.
Jane just stood there, she couldn't believe she just met such an amazing person. She had never met anyone like her in her entire life. They hit it off immediately even if it was under slightly false pretenses. But she never said she worked there, the blonde just assumed. It wasn't her fault for the misunderstanding but she sure did welcome it. She glanced at her watch and still had about fifteen minutes to kill, so she went back to the pier where her thoughts consumed every bit of her from the last hour.
She couldn't remove the smile plastered on her face. She hasn't felt this alive in what seemed like forever. She knew she was leaving in a week but there was something about Maura that made her just want to say fuck it and walk away from the FBI and go rent an apartment tomorrow. She had to stay with the Bureau for a year before she could transfer out…she still had two months to go. The blonde said she was in a relationship but she also said it was "new". What did that even mean, like how new. There wasn't a doubt in Jane's mind that Maura felt it too, there was no way she didn't feel it. Could the pull be so strong between them that this "new" relationship could end sooner rather than later. Was it wrong that she was hoping the "new" relationship would fail…she wondered.
She would just have to turn the Rizzoli charm on high, next time they met to finish their conversation.
Making her way up the driveway to her childhood home, little TJ burst through the front door and flew into Aunt Janie's arms dropping her bag, seconds before he leapt into her. She spun the six year old around, planting kisses on his temple as they circled nothing.
Tommy, Lydia and Frankie heard the boy scream and ran after him. The next few minutes were nothing but a blur of hugs and kisses. Now normally Jane doesn't hug and kiss people but she was still a little out of it from her earlier encounter. She had the biggest smile plastered on her face which everyone saw but just assumed it was due to them…they were only half right.
Frankie bent down to pick up her luggage, carrying it inside. "We have about forty-five minutes to an hour before M brings Ma back. She took her to pick up her car."
"What...what's wrong with her car…and who's Em?" Jane asked.
"It's nothing, she had a tune up done and didn't want to wait, so she dropped it off this morning. It was going to be ready at five-thirty so M took her and we're going out." He smiled.
Jane punched him in the arm. "So, you finally found someone who will put up with your ass." She joked.
"I guess so." He chuckled. "Jane, she's awesome. She's super smart and brilliant…and beyond beautiful." He was absolutely beaming just talking about her.
"That's great little brother, I am so happy for you. Where did you guys meet?" She inquired.
Before he could answer, the door bell rang. It was the catered dinner they had arranged. They didn't want to be in the kitchen all day for the surprise, so they all agreed to have it catered by the best Italian restaurant in Boston. The previous conversation long forgotten, as they assisted in setting everything up. There were on a fine time limit and not sure of exactly how much time they did, in fact have. M said she would text them when they were about to leave, giving them a substantial heads up.
About ten minutes later, she texted Frankie saying she was on her way but Angela was making a stop at the store real quick. Giving them a few more minutes to get everything prepared.
When they had everything set, they all sat around and just shot the shit. They were catching up with Tommy and Lydia when people started showing up. Ron showed up first, then Korsak, then Frost and then Susie.
After everyone showed up and hugs were again dispersed, they continued talking…this time including every one…well almost every one. Jane was there but not really there, her thoughts were currently somewhere else. She didn't mean to fade out, it just happened.
She had this look on her face that registered happiness and something else.
Her brothers both noticed it immediately and asked if anything was wrong.
"Nobody." She said, not realizing what she said.
"What?" Frankie questioned, with a puzzled expression.
"I mean nothing." She said, trying to keep the shit eating grin from consuming her.
"Are you alright?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah...I'm good." She wasn't believable at all.
"Cause you don't seem good." He continued.
"The strangest thing," She couldn't keep it contained any longer. "I …wow… I… met someone and she's really something."
"You met someone?" Frankie asked excitedly.
"Hot damn, that's beyond huge, you got her number?" Tommy was excited.
"Yeah."
"You gonna call her?" Frost asked.
"It's complicated." She responded sadly.
"No it's simple, you have to call her." Frankie said
"No bro, she just met her, she's probably worried it's too soon." Tommy interjected
"It's never too soon, especially someone her age." Frankie joked.
Lydia walked back in, "What's going on, what did I miss?"
"Jane met someone." Frankie said a little louder than intended and caught everyone's attention, causing them to gather around Jane and started firing off rapid questions.
"Shhhh guys, come on." Jane was suddenly embarrassed.
"How long before she should call her?" Frankie asked.
"I have no idea, I haven't been single for years." Lydia responded "Who is she?"
"Where is she from?" Korsak asked.
"What does she do?" Frost inquired.
Susie walked back in now. "What are you guys talking about?"
"Jane met a hottie." Frankie said, when he heard the door bell. "That's M, let's ask her." He ran away to answer the door.
"What does she look like?" Susie asked.
"Um…She's..." She turned at the new voice that just entered the room and froze.
"What's the…" Maura stopped when she entered the room with Frankie. She was face to face with her suitor from the book store. Trying to recover. "Um…what was the question?" She was suddenly very warm.
"This is my sister Jane…and she needs your advice. She met a hottie earlier today." Frankie ecstatically responded.
Maura was speechless.
"She's a little shell shocked meeting the rest of the family." He told them, as he kissed her hand.
"All right everyone, Angela just invited me over and she is about five minutes out." Ron responded, as he walked in to the living room to relay the message. He returned to the dining room to watch out for Angela's vehicle, so they could surprise her.
Jane turned back to Maura. "So Em." She is perplexed, as she extended her hand.
"It's Maura, Frankie calls me M but I'm Maura everywhere else." She accepted the offered hand and once again, they each felt those sensations from earlier. All she could think to say was, "I prefer Maura."
"Then Maura it is." As they released hands, Frankie pulled her across the room to hide, as Tommy killed the lights in anticipation of their mother's arrival.
Jane was flabbergasted, she was left standing alone in the middle of the living room in the dark. Her head fell back, as if she were praying to the skies. 'Why me?' She thought.
Would love to hear your thoughts, let me know what you think…but remember this IS RIZZLES and things are not always what they seem in the beginning...see you soon.