Hiya!
I'm trying to get some fanfic writing done before school starts. I'm not really sure how my first year of college will go, but I'm pretty sure I won't have very much time for writing until I get the hang of things. As it is, I've got about four more weeks, so we'll see what I can do in that time.
In the meantime, though, thank you guys so much for your reviews. And I still love my silent readers with the favs and story alerts, 'cause I tend to be one myself. So thank you all and here we go.
For disclaimer see chapter 1
"So," Jane said, her hands tucked in her pockets as she strolled down the sidewalk with her date, "your place or mine?"
Marisa, with her arm curled around Jane's leaned and chuckled seductively, low and in her throat. "Aren't you being a little presumptuous? What makes you think I'd go to bed with you?"
"Well, number one:," the detective listed, "I never said anything about bed. I simply asked if you would prefer your place or mine. I could have been asking you about which place you'd rather have a quick coffee at. You're the one with her mind in the gutter. And secondly..." Jane stopped there, both in speaking and walking. They'd reached her car and Jane took her opportunity, pushing the younger woman and up against the car door, taking advantage of her sudden lack of balance. "This is our third date in two weeks and you're wearing those undeniable 'Fuck me' heels among other hints. Call me crazy, but I think you're trying to get me to sleep with you."
Marisa's arms curled up and around Jane's neck. "I guess that's what get for seeing a detective." She slid her right had down until her fingers lightly brushed against Jane's jawline. Her index finger slipped below Jane's chin and subtly brought the detective's face closer to her own. "You caught me," she said before kissing the taller woman.
Jane smirked as the kiss ended. "Not yet," she said, holding the car door open for her date. "But give me a few minutes."
Maura was a creature of habit. Well, no, that wasn't exactly true. Maura was a creature who liked things to be organized. She had routines and she had specific ways of doing things, because they made her life simpler. Simplicity was the true route to harmony, after all.
But lately, Maura's routine had been thrown off. Normally, within the course of week, she would do autopsies, help Jane and other detectives catch criminals, and usually, either she or Jane would a date or something like it. And afterward, when the dates were over (and they usually were over rather early), who ever had the date would call the other and talk about how bad it was and if they could come over. The rest of the week, they would meet the guys at the Dirty Robber for drinks, darts, and companionship.
And now that routine was askew. Well, not entirely; Maura still did autopsies and lab work to help Jane and other detectives and they did manage to make it to the Dirty Robber on occasion, but those post-date talks and visits had ended. Jane actually hadn't said anything, good or bad, about her date with Marisa and Maura had to assume (though she was absolutely loathe to do so) that reason Jane was suddenly too busy for their movie nights was because she was on a date with the law student. And what threw Maura off even more was that Jane didn't even say what she was doing when she was too busy, just that she had 'stuff' to do.
With all this new free time on her hands, Maura began to think and wonder just what that 'stuff' was. It wasn't like just use subterfuge (or, in her friend's language, beat around the bush). What was she not telling Maura? Was she in trouble again? Was she having troubles with her pain again?
Well, she thought as fed her dear tortoise a strawberry, whatever it was, maybe it was time for Maura to take a page out of her friend's handbook.
Which is how she found herself outside of Jane's apartment half an hour later, determined to find her friend and discover what was wrong. She had decided to forgo her usual etiquette practice of calling Jane beforehand. She'd already learned from experience that there was no kind of stubbornness like Jane Rizzoli-stubbornness.
Using the key Jane had given her for emergencies (and, yes, she thought this qualified as a friendship emergency), she let herself into the apartment. Joe Friday, who was curled up around herself, sleeping in a ball on the couch, sat up at the ME's sudden appearance and rushed over to be petted.
"Hello, Joe," Maura greeted with a smile and belly-rub. "Is your mommy home?"
Knowing that Joe had no way of telling her, Maura looked around the apartment for signs that Jane was there. Well, the light in the kitchen above the sink was on, but Jane always left that on in case she needed something in the middle of the night and didn't want to risk tripping over her dog. Maura scanned further until she saw a shoe laying in the middle of the floor.
Tilting her head inquisitively, Maura stood and walked over to it. It was shoe of no spectacular fashion and it was low-heeled. It very well could have been Jane's, except that it seemed a little smaller than it should be. Maura looked a little further down the hall (she was actually getting a kick out of playing detective) and noticed the shoe's mate next to bathroom door. And little bit further after that, was yet another shoe, not related to the others in slightest and most definitely Jane's shoe because Maura remembered offering to take Jane shoe-shopping if she'd only get rid of that pair.
That's when she noticed the bedroom door was ajar and there was a dim light coming from the inside.
Quietly moving forward, in case Jane was asleep, Maura approached the door, peaked in and- Oh Goodness! There in the throes of passion (well, not exactly the throws; they still had most of their clothes on, more like the proto-throes of passion) Jane and Marisa.
Maura stood still and, to her later embarrassment and shame, watched for a while. In her defense, however, it was hard to look away. It was... hot, to say the very least. Jane's hair was wild and mussed from having fingers run through it. She looked... powerful as she straddled the other woman's hips, topless save for her bra. Her strong back as she leaned over the younger woman reminded Maura of some jungle cat taunting her prey before the kill.
The doctor bit her lip at the thought of Jane looking at her, leaning over her, wanting her like that. Just the idea was enough to make her have to stifle a moan, but instead she heard another. One that was definitely not hers.
Registering the fact that it was Marisa, not herself who had made the noise, Maura blushed and stepped back realizing what she had been doing. Really? Spying on your best friend? Playing uninvited voyeur? This definitely crossed a line, even in Maura's understanding of friendships. The best thing she could do now was back away quietly and leave, praying to a deity she didn't believe but whose help she would gladly accept if Jane never knew what she had just done.
The next morning, Maura arrived at work early, glad to have something to do and think of besides her guilt over the things she had seen and the things she had done to herself because of the things she had seen.
Maura didn't know if she'd be able to look Jane in the eye again. She'd probably be too busy thinking of what she looked like without her shirt on and leaning over the ME lasciviously.
No! Bad Maura! Stop thinking about Jane half-naked. Or fully naked. Oh dear, today was going to be a long day.
With that in mind, Maura checked her watched and nodded. It was still a little early for Jane to be in, thanks to her habitual lateness, but late enough that either Barry or Vince would be in. Maura grabbed the folder of results she needed to deliver and headed upstairs.
She was relieved to see no Jane insight as exited the elevator and put on her 'game face'. She smiled at Det. Frost and greeted him. "Good morning, Barry."
"Morning, Dr. Isles," Frost greeted back taking note of her appearance (not that that wasn't a daily occurrence). "You seem... different today. Have a good night?"
Maura froze. Was she really that transparent that Barry could tell what she'd done within a minute of seeing her? No, that was preposterous. But that didn't mean Maura didn't have to be careful.
"Not particularly. I went out for a bit, but it was mostly just Bass and I at home last night," she said after concocting a truthful enough statement.
Frost shrugged. "Is that the autopsy report?"
Maura nodded and handed over the folder, explaining her findings to him as he scanned the pages.
"Hey, is that the autopsy report?" Maura's face turned colors for the second time in as many days at the sound of Jane's voice.
The female detective entered the in her step that normal, no doubt the proud result of her sexual conquest.
"Um, yes. I gave it to Frost. He'll explain it too you. I'll be down in the morgue if you need me. Good-bye," Maura said as fast as possible and heading for the stairs, not willing to risk the elevator slowing down her mad dash.
Jane and Frost stood there confused, looking at where the doctor had been and then at each other.
Jane shrugged and asked: "What's eating her?"
