Chance Encounters

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.

On Monday afternoon Jane paced back and forth in her apartment. Jane and Frost were back on undercover duty that night and for the rest of the week. Two of the other undercover teams had come up with a few leads on the underage prostitution ring that seemed legitimate but nothing had come of it yet. Another body of an unidentified teenage girl had been found Saturday morning in Savin Hill Park in Dorchester and the sense of urgency to find new information increased.

The weekend surveillance of Maura Isles had yielded nothing new and they all decided there was no point in continuing it. But Jane still had some questions and concerns and that's why she was pacing in her apartment. "Fuck it," she muttered as she grabbed her keys and went out to her car.

Jane arrived at the South Boston Women's Clinic a little after 4pm. The door to the clinic was locked and Jane knocked loudly a few times before she saw Maura walking down the hall to the waiting room.

Maura paused briefly when she saw that it was Jane at the door but continued through the waiting to unlock the door. Maura opened the door but didn't move to let Jane in. "Detective. What can I do for you today?"

"Please call me Jane. I'm not here in any official capacity. I just wanna talk to you for a minute. Can I please come in?"

Maura hesitated another moment but moved aside to let Jane into the waiting room. "What do you want to talk about?"

Jane sat in one on the waiting room chairs and waited for Maura to sit down too as she tried to figure out how to say what she wanted to say. "Well, I've been thinking about, um, you, I guess, and I was wondering if you've considered that fact that being back in Boston could put you in danger. I mean, what if one of Patrick Doyle's enemies found out that you are his daughter and decided he could use you to get Doyle to come out of hiding or for blackmail or for something like that."

"I suppose it's a good thing Boston police officers have been following me around the clock then," Maura responded with a hint of amusement.

"You knew?" Jane said surprised.

Maura smiled. "Beginning when I was just a little girl when my father and I would drive somewhere, or even just walk somewhere, he would say, 'Maura, to be safe you should always pay attention to the people around you and make sure you aren't being followed.' And then he would show me how to check to see if anyone was tailing me. When I was a kid it was a like a game. But it became a habit and apparently it was worth remembering."

"The surveillance is over actually. You just have to believe that for a couple of days we thought you were very suspicious," Jane said with a smile.

"Is that an apology?" Maura said, the smile gone from her face.

"I can't apologize for doing my job. I'm just asking that you be on the lookout for anyone else following you or anything else suspicious, okay?"

Maura shrugged, "Sure."

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about, also off the record, but I thought you might be in a position to help. I'm back working undercover for the rest of the week, like the first time we met, because we are trying to get information about a possible underage prostitution ring. There have been rumors and maybe a few pieces of solid information but we haven't gotten further than that. If you hear anything, you know, from people coming to this clinic that sounds like it should get checked out, please give me a call." Jane pulled a business card from her back pocket and held it out to Maura.

"Did you think I was involved in that somehow? Is that why you were following me?"

"No, of course not. I mean I didn't think anything. It was odd that I met you when you were out talking to hookers in the middle of the night. And then finding out you're Paddy Doyle's daughter, I wasn't sure what to think. So, uh, I'm sorry about the surveillance, but it was just a precautionary thing. And you know, it wasn't even my decision."

"I thought you weren't going to apologize?"

Jane sighed. "Yeah, I wasn't going to, but I find myself oddly concerned about what you think about me. Alright, well, seriously, call me if you hear anything. And stay safe, okay." Jane stood and made her way to the door.

"I find you very confusing, Jane Rizzoli."

Jane laughed lightly and said, "Just what a girl always wants to hear," before walking out the door.

Jane woke up Sunday afternoon after her last night undercover. She had a message on her phone from her Lieutenant saying they were going to figure out other angles for her and Frost to pursue on Monday. Maybe some of the other detectives would continue doing the undercover hooking, but it wasn't working for Jane. No one would tell her anything. Jane was happy to be able to stop dressing up as a hooker, but her pride was of course hurt. She hated failing at things, even if the thing she failed at was being a prostitute.

Jane decided she needed to go for a run, having barely seen the sun the past week. So she put on shorts and a tank top and ran out of her apartment building in the Fenway towards Park Drive. She had two options for where to run. Usually she ran north so she could run along the Charles River, but today she turned southwest to run the trails of the Emerald Necklace.

Jane ran south along Jamaicaway and then around the west side of Jamaica Pond before continuing into the Arboretum. She ran through the Arboretum to the top of Bussey Hill where she took a break, sitting down on the stone wall. During the winter, downtown Boston could be seen from this summit, but now in the middle of summer, all that could be seen was trees.

Jane was staring out over the trees when she felt someone sit down beside her. "Shit, I wasn't following you, I swear," Jane said as soon as she saw it was Maura, who also appeared to have been out for a run.

"I know. I would have noticed, remember? Also, I arrived here after you," Maura said slightly out of breath. "Do you come here a lot?"

"Usually I run along the Charles actually, but sometimes I come run here. You?"

"I run here and around the pond a lot. They're one of the reasons I chose to live in JP when I moved back to Boston."

"So, uh, everything was okay this week. Nothing suspicious or anything?"

Maura shook her head. "Everything was normal." After a few minutes of companionable silence, Maura said, "Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Um, forget it. It was foolish."

"Come on, what is it?" Jane asked smirking.

Maura was silent for a moment but then said, "I was going to ask if you wanted to have dinner with me?"

"Oh," Jane said in surprise.

"See? It was silly," Maura said as she stood up.

"No, wait," Jane said as she grabbed Maura's wrist and stood up too. "It wasn't silly at all. I'm just surprised because I thought you wouldn't want to have anything to do with me after everything that happened the past few weeks. But I would really like to have dinner with you." When Maura still looked unsure, Jane said, "Seriously. How about tonight? I'm not working and I'm not on call, so I've got no excuses."

"Would it be weird if I suggested that you come over and I make dinner? I'm an excellent cook."

"Sure, that sounds great. I'm a terrible cook so I almost always just get take out. I can make a grilled cheese sandwich and that's about it."

"Eight o'clock?" Maura asked.

"Yeah, okay, I'll see you tonight, Maura."

At eight o'clock that night Jane rang Maura's doorbell. Maura answered the door wearing a red and white dress and red peep toe high heels. "Oh geez," Jane said and looked down at her jeans, t-shirt and sneakers. "I'm incredibly under-dressed. Do you always dress like this around the house?"

"Please come in." Maura closed the door behind Jane and said, "I like to dress up. And don't worry, I think you look nice."

"You look amazing." Jane lifted up her hand holding a six pack and said, "I brought beer."

"Oh, okay. Why don't you come with me to the kitchen and we can put that in the fridge. I have a very nice wine that will go perfectly with the meal. Maybe we'll save the beer for later?"

Jane followed Maura to the kitchen and Maura put the beer in the fridge. "You don't drink beer do you?" Jane asked.

"I don't really care for it, no."

Jane laughed. "You really can't lie can you, even about the little stuff?"

"No I can't. Many people find it off-putting."

"I think it's refreshing. Well you look great and the food smells amazing, so I should probably try things your way tonight and try the wine. Can I help with anything?"

"Why don't you take this," Maura said and handed Jane a large bowl of salad. Maura pointed to the dining room and continued, "If you bring the salad in there I'll be just another minute."

Jane went into the dining room where a large table was set for two. Jane sat down, leaving the seat at the head of the table for Maura.

Maura came in shortly carrying two platters which she set down on the table. "Grilled swordfish and roasted sweet potatoes."

"Wow, fancy."

"It wasn't really that difficult and I enjoy cooking. I haven't had anyone over since I moved into this house. It's nice to have someone to cook for," Maura said simply.

Maura poured wine and there was a pleasant silence as both women ate, only interrupted by Jane saying how good everything tasted over and over. When they moved on to the salad Jane said, "So how does a girl from Southie end up at Harvard and become a doctor?"

Maura refilled their wine glasses and said, "It seems unfair that that you know so much about me and I know almost nothing about you."

"Okay, answer that one question and then I won't ask anything else and you can ask me whatever you want."

"I was kind of a weird kid. I spent a lot of time alone reading anything I could get my hands on." Maura shrugged and then looked down and blushed. "I like science." Maura looked up to see Jane smiling at her. "Don't laugh."

"I'm not laughing. I'm pretty sure I've never heard anyone say out loud 'I like science,' and it was adorable." Jane blushed, slightly embarrassed at having said that, but recovered and said, "Okay, your turn to ask me anything you want to."

Maura bit her bottom lip before saying, "This is awkward but when we ran into each other at the community service partnership dinner, you were there with someone. Casey, I think. Is he a boyfriend, or something?"

"Casey is an old friend, from high school actually. He's stationed in Afghanistan and he was visiting me when he was on leave, and we have fun together but we aren't in a relationship."

"Did you grow up in Boston?" Maura asked.

"Revere," Jane responded.

Maura smiled. "When I was a child my grandmother would take me to Revere Beach. It seemed like such an adventure at the time because we took a bus and the T to get there. Did you go there ever?"

"All the time. All summer long. I think it was the only way my Ma stayed sane during the summer. She could get my brothers and I out of the house and let us run around at the beach all day."

They had both finished eating. "I have ice cream if you want dessert," Maura said.

"I'm actually really full. The food was delicious."

"We can move into the living room then." Jane nodded and followed Maura into the next room. Maura took a seat at the end of the couch, tucking her legs demurely beneath her. Jane sat at the other end of the couch and laid her arm over the back of it.

"Is your family still in Revere or in the area?" Maura asked.

"My parents separated last year. Ma is still in Revere, for now anyway. I'm not sure if she'll be able to stay in the house. My father is wherever he wants to be. I haven't talked to him in months. My brother Frankie is also a Boston cop. And my other brother Tommy is in prison. He had a ... drunk driving problem. He might be out soon though and Ma will coddle him until he screwed up again."

"How did you decide to a be cop?"

"That's all I ever wanted to do since I was a kid. I just thought it was a way to help people I guess. The handcuffs and the gun are a nice bonus," Jane joked.

"Do you think you help people?" Maura asked.

"It's complicated, I guess. It turns out that when you're cop you mostly interact with criminals or people who were victims of a crime. It's not exactly returning stolen purses to old ladies. But I love my job. I hope one day I'll be promoted to Homicide. I think solving murders would be really meaningful. What about you? Why did you decide to open the clinic?"

"I wanted to help people. I grew up in South Boston and it seemed like a way to give back. Perhaps I thought I could somehow atone for the things my father did."

"You don't have to make up for his mistakes," Jane said.

"It's hard not to feel that way sometimes," Maura responded.

Jane looked at her watch and then stood up. "Um, this was all really great, but it's getting late and I should probably get going. Can I help you clean up?"

"No, I'll take care of everything. Let me walk you out."

Jane walked to the front door, followed by Maura. Jane opened the door and turned around in the doorway and said, "Thank you for dinner."

"You're welcome. Oh, do you want to take your beer?" Maura asked.

Jane didn't answer right away. Instead she stepped closer and pressed her lips to Maura's mouth. Her hand went to Maura's waist and she lightly rubbed the soft fabric of Maura's dress. Maura's lips parted slightly and Jane sucked softly on Maura's upper lip before pulling back. "Why don't you hold on to the beer? Maybe next time I'll get you to try some. Call me, okay?"

Maura nodded and closed the door behind Jane. She leaned against the closed door and smiled as she brushed her fingertips against her lips.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Review are always read and greatly appreciated.