A/N: Thank you all for the follows/favs/reviews!
Angela Rizzoli stood at the doorway as they watched the two boys saying goodbye to each other. "It was nice having you over Angela. We should do this again sometime." The blonde said half expecting the hives to begin to form; she was shocked that it was the truth. She never thought that this afternoon would be so pleasurable.
"I agree!" The older woman exclaims as she pulls the blonde into a tight hug. "Thank you again for your hospitality. I will give you a call soon." And with that Maura calls for her son and shuts the door when he enters the house. It is impossible to keep the smile off her face, she is proud that even though it's been a few months she was able to have a guest over and enjoy every minute of it.
Maura Isles had never been the one for entertaining guests; no, that had been her parent's strong suit. When she was young, and her mother would throw a social event at the house Maura would hide in her room. Even as an adult she always tried to come up with excuses so she wouldn't have to deal with idle chitchat. Maura feared conversations with new people. The judgmental way they perceived her before even speaking to her was disturbing enough, which only led to awkward introductions and silent pauses when the people she met knew that the conversation was going nowhere.
Today she had met a new person and the conversation had been fun and light. There were a few awkward pauses but Angela didn't let that stop her from the chance to tell Maura all about her son Frankie. If Maura had been keener to conversations of this sort, she would probably picked up the fact that Angela was trying to set her up with her son.
But today she took a chance, after all, earlier that week she had told her son that he had to fight for things he wanted. Maura didn't want to be alone anymore; she wanted friends…she wanted to fight. For once in her life Maura Isles was ready to fight for the things she yearned for. She was ready to live.
It had been a busy week for Jane, Tuesday she had been called to come into work to do some paperwork and she found that the months that she had been home recouping from her injuries had left her with more desk work than she thought was possible. She was grateful for all the help her family had given her and more than appreciative of her mother who had happily moved her shift around to pick up Nicholas from school that week. But that did not stop her from cursing out loud when she walked into her mother's empty house.
"MA!" she chanced yelling out. Reaching into her pocket before turning on the kitchen light and setting at the table, the brunette hits the icon for her mother but hangs up when she hears her son and mother walking up the front porch.
"Janie?" Her mother calls for her. "Sorry we weren't here."
"That's fine Ma." Jane waves her off as she rustles her son's hair before kissing his head. "Is it okay if we just spend the night? I'm exhausted and I don't feel like dealing with the drive."
"Janie you never have to ask that. I love it when you guys stay the night; the house isn't so quiet…it's nice. Plus, I was going to ask anyways." Angela states as she begins to take out the ingredients for dinner.
"Where did you guys go?"
"Nicky's friend invited him over and his mom asked if I wanted to come along. She's a really nice lady Janie, a little kooky but she seems to be a good person…she's rich too."
"Ma! What does that have to do with anything?" The brunette rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
"WHAT?" Angela throws up her hands. "I was just saying that she is an all around good catch. I was trying to hint to her about Frankie but I think she was oblivious."
"Yeah Ma, Frankie is going to be thrilled that you are trying to set him up with a kook." Changing the topic she looks to her son who is leaning on the table. "Is your friend the new one you made the other day…don't lay all over the table?" And swats at him and he stands just in time to dodge his mother's hand.
"Yeah! He is fun to hang with. He always has cool things to say about stuff. Like he's okay at soccer, I think if we teach him he could be better but oh well, but like…he knows about soccer." Jane watches how her son squints his eyes as he tries to remember. "Like, in the early centuries…you know BC something? They found out that China used to play soccer so it wasn't just like England AND that at one time in England soccer was banned 'cause it was too violent. Yeah…it's neat to know things like that…so I guess Nate is cool. Just don't let his mom know I call him Nate 'cause she'd get mad."
"Oh" Jane makes a surprised face. "Alright it's our secret. Speaking of sweaty soccer…go get your pajama's out of your Uncle's old room and take a shower because you smell Nick." Angela and Jane laugh as the little boy makes a face as his shoulders sag before shuffling to the stairs.
"Ma?" Jane asks, and only continues when she sees her mother turn her head a little to show she is listening. "I finally saw Korsak today." She waits again not knowing how to voice the next question, "Do you think I made a wrong choice? About getting a new partner?"
Angela puts down the knife and wipes her hands off, turning around she comes to her daughter. Stopping when she gets close, she knows her daughter is not one to show much affection, "I can't tell you if it's right or wrong. That is your choice Jane, you are the one out there being brave and putting your life in another person's hands. Your partner needs to be someone that you can trust, so like I said I can't tell you what to do but what I can say, is that you should have done it in a better way than you did."
"I know, I saw Korsak and he welcomed me back. He's training my new partner and all but he…you should have seen how cold he was…the hurt in his eyes made me feel like I made a mistake."
"Only time can tell Jane." Angela pats her daughter's arm before returning to the cooking. "Come help me cook, it will get your mind off of it. Oh, so about this kid's mom…she's a doctor! Do you think Frankie would like a girlfriend that's a Doctor?"
Monday morning Maura finds herself standing in front of the mirror. It has been four years since being told she was cancer free but as she stands naked after her shower, she can't help but to stare at her old scar as if were new. Her breasts are almost perfectly matched despite the implant in her left side. The scar goes horizontally across it and even though she hates it she is lucky that she is alive. Lucky, that she had a skillful surgeon that left her with minimal scarring but even though she feels lucky, she hates that she also feels insecure about her body.
Her late husband had always told her how beautiful she was even after her surgery. She didn't care that Ian may have been lying because he was never around anyways. With him being gone with his charity work, it didn't leave much time for sexual encounters with him. Maura didn't mind though, she was just happy not to have to bother with trying to be sexy when in fact she didn't feel sexy.
It was easy and Maura never had to fear divorce from Ian, only after her operation and scar did she worry that if she ever were divorced, she would never find someone she could feel attractive to. Maura never expected Ian would die, he was her security blanket, she loved him but she never felt that they were meant to be together forever. She always knew that if it weren't for Nathaniel, Ian would never have married her to begin with. He was honorable, but he never seemed like the man who would marry and settle down. It was his duty to marry Maura and stay with her and she felt the same way.
Therefore, this is the way she starts her mornings, for years now her mornings consist of self-loathing as she stares at her broken body and remembers how she used to be. If it weren't for her son, Maura wouldn't know how to go on knowing she would never find someone who could love her for who she was deep down. It takes all she's has to get dressed and ready for the day's work.
For Jane, this was the day she returned from leave and would start actual fieldwork. It was also the day that she would have to go back and be supervised by her old partner, the one she offended when she went behind his back to find a new partner.
Jane was worried that it would cause a rift between her new partner and old but from what she could see the week before when she went into work was that they seemed to have a good banter between them. She was hopeful that maybe Korsak was over it and would forgive her for her decision.
It is all she can do not to hit the emergency stop button on the elevator as the panic sets in. Instead, she finds all the courage that she has left to walk off the elevator and into the precinct. To her surprise, it is not the scene she was expecting. The entire Homicide department had gathered around to officially welcome her back. It made her happy to know she was missed but self-consciously she clasps her scarred hands behind her back.
"Quiet down, quiet down." Cavanaugh silences the crowd. "Now I know that you were in last week, but today you are officially back in action and we just want to welcome you back."
With that, the crowd cheers and Jane can see Korsak with a sad smile clapping for her before pushing Detective Frost to stand next to her. "As you all know this is Detective Frost, Jane's new partner. I advise that now that Rizzoli is back, that you not to give him any more hell. I will not feel sorry for you when Rizzoli slaps you a bit." Everyone laughs at the lieutenant before he begins again, "Now that we got all this out of the way, I want you all back to work! We have murders to solve."
Jane watches Korsak while people come and welcome her back. As the crowd dissipates, she makes her way to the older man but before she can get to him, Cavanaugh steps out of his office.
"Rizzoli…Frost. My office now." Jane makes her way to the door and Frost his quick on her heels. They both sit down as the door closes behind them.
"I want you both to go down to the morgue. I know you already met Dr. Isles, Frost. But Jane needs to introduce herself to the new Medical Examiner." Cavanaugh instructs and begins again cutting off the young man before he has a chance to speak.
"Don't make any excuses Detective Frost, I'm on to you." He eyes Detective Frost making sure he understands. He looks to the brunette and informs her of the situation when he notices her perplexed expression.
"Your new partner, as ironic as it seems, has a bit of a problem with dead bodies. For now Rizzoli, you will take the lead when dealing with the autopsies. Frost here will be you right hand man with anything tech related and Korsak is going supervise the two of you. Don't let me get a bad report from him…got it?"
"Yes Sir." Jane and Frost answer.
"Good. Now make your way down to the morgue."
Maura had been busy at her desk writing her results from the autopsy she did earlier that day when she heard a commotion outside her office. Standing up she makes her way to the door, calling out as she opens it.
"Hello?" She says as she sees to figures wrestling outside her door.
"Jane…Jane, stop!" The younger man demands as he straightens himself and his suit. "Hi, Doctor Isles, Sorry for my partner, she thinks that if she pushes me into the morgue it will cure my fear."
"Oh yes, I did talk to you about immersion therapy but I think that you should be the one to say when you are ready." Maura smiles at Frost and then turns her attention to the tall brunette. For a moment she is surprised to see someone so stunning standing with a gun and badge.
"You must be Frost's partner, he said I would be meeting you this week." She extends her hand as she greets the woman.
Jane looks down at the hand that was offered to her, unsure what to do she simply nods and holds the woman's eye contact as she reaches for it. The moment she feels the soft skin under her own-scarred hand, Jane feels a connection like no other. She wants to keep holding onto this woman for as long as she can. It's only when she hears Frost clear his throat does she release the blonde's hand and blushes as she speaks, "Jane Rizzoli, it's a pleasure to be working with you."
"Rizzoli…Jane Rizzoli." Maura makes a face as she tries to remember why this name is so very familiar to her. "I know you, yo—"
"I think everyone that watches the news knows my name," the brunette says more solemnly than sarcastic.
"No…no, no, that's not…pardon me?" the doctor looks quizzically at both of the detectives, "Never mind, what I meant was that I met your mother and son last Friday. She spoke briefly about you."
Jane looks a little taken back at the way the conversation is going but she is more than happy to steer away from any mention of Hoyt. "Are you…what's his name's mom…Nate?"
Maura makes a perturbed face before answering, "Nathaniel, but yes I am Nathaniel's mother."
"Riiight…Nathaniel." Jane smiles thinking of what her own son had said about calling him Nate.
"Well, Detective Rizzoli it was a pleasure to meet you. If there is anything I can do for you I would be happy to help, otherwise, I have paperwork to get done."
"Oh no, thanks. My lieutenant told me I had to come down and introduce myself. Now that we have that out of the way we can get out of your hair. It was nice meeting you." The brunette feels saddened that the conversation is over so she reluctantly heads to the door stopping abruptly to delay the departure. Frost, who had up to this point been happily quiet, walks to the elevator to wait for his partner.
"Dr. Isles?" Jane smiles as she sees the other woman look up. "I really look forward to working with you," she says and blushes when she sees the other woman smile brightly.
"Thank you Detective." Maura replies and she can't help the feeling that arises in her stomach.
Okay, there it is. Next chapter should be up within a few days. It will have more interactions with Jane and Maura. If you guys have any ideas I'm open to them, and again please be kind in the comments :)