Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Rizzoli & Isles.
Two
Maura slammed the textbook shut with a sigh of relief, only to quickly thumb through to the last page again to check the formula. At last, satisfied that she had it memorized, she stood up, stretching. She wanted a change in scenery and wandered to the kitchen.
Impatiently, she opened and closed the fridge door, looked through the cupboards.
Without the distraction of her studies, the silent house sent chills through her. Rubbing the goose bumps on her arms, Maura stepped out to the porch, the sun bright and warm on her skin.
Sounds from the beach floated up to her, drew her down the steps. She sat there for a few minutes, soaking up the laughter and the shouts before they drew her further out onto the sand. First though, she headed back in to grab a purse and a textbook.
She wandered down the beach, kicking of her sandals off to walk in the wet sand. The book was heavy in the bag on her shoulder, a comfort and a reminder.
"Hey, Maura."
She was startled out of her reverie, "Hi." She couldn't place the face.
"It's me, Peter."
"Oh, hello. How are you?" She tried to place the face but wasn't having any luck.
"Your mother told my mother that you were here." He looked her up and down, "hey, you want to come hang with us." He jerked a thumb at the group behind him, boys looking her up and down with interest and the girls looking at her with what she could only read as disgust.
"No thank you, I have plans. Maybe another time."
"Sure, later."
"Bye."
Maura shook her head at the encounter and trudged up the sand to a restaurant with blue and white flags. It looked peaceful on the outside and she hoped that it would translate inside.
She sat by the window so that she could keep an eye on the ocean. A brunette dropped off a water with lemon by her table and she sipped it as she studied. The noise of the restaurant filled the empty places within her and helped keep her focused.
Only one voice rang out over the others, the brunette who had handed her the water. She was always arguing with one of the other servers and her brown eyes flashed with a passion she had never seen before, in anyone and certainly not over towers of glasses. Her dark curls had a life of their own and they fascinated Maura to no end.
Despite the distractions, the atmosphere was the perfect place to lose herself in her studies.
Jane noticed the girl with a serious look on her face, her head bent over a thick book. Sunlight shone on the blonde streaks of her light brown hair. She twirled a strand of hair absentmindedly between her delicate fingers.
Her back was perfectly straight, perfect posture for someone sitting in the same hard wooden seat for so long. Her legs were crossed beneath her, giving her an almost childlike look about her.
She was oblivious to the world around her. She didn't look up throughout the busy lunch rush, nor did she look up when a loud group of teenagers made their way in for a late afternoon snack.
"Who is that girl over there?" Jane asked Maddie.
"How should I know?"
Jane shrugged, "I just wondered if she might be a regular."
"No."
She drew an iced tea and stuck a straw in it.
She put it down on the table and the honey blonde looked up after a few seconds, startled. "Hello."
"Hi." She nodded to the iced tea, "It's on the house."
"Oh, thank you."
Jane sank down in the chair across from her. "You have the most amazing concentration, you know."
"I...uh..."
"The lunch crowd, the giggling girls... and still you sat here."
Maura took a refreshing sip, "It's just noise, compressions and refractions of air. I tune it out."
"What are you even doing studying? It's summer..."
"I'm taking the MCAT in September."
"What?"
Medical College Admission Test."
"You want to be a doctor?
Maura nodded, her wavy hair falling into her face so that she had to push it back.
"Why would you want to do that?" Jane asked, genuinely curious.
"I find the human body fascinating."
"Huh..." You want to explain why I'm suddenly having trouble catching my breath and why my palms are sweaty.
"Jane, get back to work," barked the manager from behind them.
Jane looked around to see the one other table that had sat down. She rolled her eyes, "Really?" Then, looking down at Maura, she said, "Don't go away, I'll be right back."
Maura smiled shyly, "Alright. I'll talk to you later." Without a seconds hesitation she returned her concentration to the diagrams in front of her.
Jane returned a few minutes later, this time setting a bin of cutlery on the table in front of her. "How old are you?"
"I'm twenty this summer."
"I'm just nineteen. Just finished my first year of college." Jane worked her way through the stack of forks and knives, rolling them with a napkin.
"I just finished my second." Maura propped her chin in her hands, "You know that I want to be a doctor, so, what do you want to be?"
"A cop. Detective. Homicide.
"Wow. " Maura's eyes widened, "That is very noble."
Jane laughed huskily, "Yeah, well, tell that to my parents." She got up again.
Maura looked startled, "I didn't mean to offend you."
"I'll be right back, I just have to see to these people." Jane jerked her chin in the direction of a small family.
She sank down again, moments later, "So, do you have a family?"
"A mother and a father. Do you?"
"My parents and two younger brothers."
"What's it like to have such a large family." Maura asked.
"Loud. No privacy. I love it though, just don't tell anyone."
"I don't have anyone to tell," Maura answered honestly.
Jane's heart went out to the girl, she reached a hand across the table as Maura did the same. They both drew back and silence fell between them.
Jane finally picked up the cutlery, "I have to finish up, and my shift is ending."
"Oh, sure. I should be getting home anyways." Maura packed her bag, "I'll see you around."
"Yeah, sure. Nice to meet you." Jane watched the girl walk out and realised that maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she saw her again.
A/N: I'll try posting this every Tuesday to stretch it out over the hiatus : ) Thanks for the fabulous response and of course I welcome any critics and any suggestions!