January 19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Maura queued up a selection of classical music and then hit play. She nodded in satisfaction when she heard the first few notes coming through her home sound system and then walked into her kitchen. She had managed to slip out a little early at the end of work in order to prepare for her dinner date that evening with Gerald. The extra time had allowed her to get everything ready for the meal she would be cooking with plenty of time to spare. All she had left to do was pick out a bottle of wine, and the last of the pre-dinner prep work would be complete.
The sound of a knock on the courtyard door followed by it opening caught her attention. "Maura?" Jane called out as she stepped inside the medical examiner's house. "You home?"
Unlike Maura, Jane had had the day off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so the blonde hadn't seen her friend since the detective had left her home after the football game the previous day. "Hey there," Maura said, a genuine smile of happiness lighting up her face. "I didn't expect to see you tonight."
"I know, but I had to run a couple errands and I figured while I was out I'd bring back the casserole dish Ma sent home with me yesterday." The detective leaned against the back of the couch. "What's going on?"
"Gerald's coming over tonight and I'm making dinner," Maura replied.
A chagrined expression appeared on Jane's face and she immediately stood back up. "Sorry, I didn't realize you had a date tonight. I'll go."
Maura waved her hand dismissively and then began to untie her apron. "Don't be silly. Gerald won't be here for another half hour and it won't be time to actually start cooking for a while yet. I was just making certain I had everything ready to go."
"But you need to finish getting ready for your date," Jane protested.
Maura folded her apron and placed it on the top of the kitchen island. She looked down at the dress she was wearing and then back up at her friend. "Actually I am ready, unless you see something that looks wrong?" she asked, turning in a slow circle.
As she came back around to face the other woman, Maura saw the brunette staring at her with eyes that were slightly glazed over. Unable to resist the urge to tease her friend, Maura moved to rest her forearms on the kitchen island and then leaned forward. She was fully aware of exactly what the position was doing for her cleavage, and it took every ounce of self-control she possessed not to grin when she saw Jane's eyes drop down and linger for far longer than any amount of decorum would allow. "So, do you see anything wrong?" Maura asked, deliberately pitching her tone into a more suggestive register.
Jane blinked and slowly raised her gaze to meet Maura's. "No, you look amazing," she said, a noticeable strain in her voice.
Maura straightened up. "So there's no reason for you to go, is there?"
Jane shook her head to clear it and then shrugged, a move Maura suspected was intended to convince them both that the detective had been unaffected by Maura's actions. "Alright if you're sure, I can stay a little longer."
"I'm sure," Maura replied, as she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. "Between dinner with everyone and the football game afterwards, we barely had two minutes to talk yesterday," she pointed out, handing Jane the bottle. "I never even had a chance to ask how your date went Saturday night."
"It was fine," Jane replied noncommittally, before taking a drink of water and moving to sit down on one of the chairs at the kitchen island.
Maura pursed her lips slightly. She was actually quite certain that Jane's date had gone much better than simply "fine," but she decided not to push things just yet. "Did you enjoy your day off?" the medical examiner asked instead.
"It was fine," the detective said again. "I actually spent most of it cleaning my apartment." Jane perused the various ingredients that were neatly organized on the countertop. "What are you making?"
Maura bit her lip to hide a smile. It wasn't like Jane to be curious about food unless it involved bacon or something equally bad for her health, and she never showed any interest in what Maura was preparing for other people. The only reason the medical examiner could think of for Jane's sudden interest in culinary matters was that she was trying to change the subject, and there was only one reason she could think of that Jane would want to do that. Electing to bide her time for a little longer, Maura answered the question. "Moroccan chicken with a fruit and olive topping, served with couscous."
The detective nodded thoughtfully, as she continued to study the food. Finally she looked up at her friend. "So not fried bologna sandwiches?"
"I don't want to set the bar too high the first time I cook dinner for Gerald," Maura said dryly. "What would I possibly do for an encore after a meal like that?"
"Oh I think we both know what Gerald would want as an encore, and I can't imagine he'd be disappointed by anything you did," Jane said with a smart-ass little grin.
Maura's eyebrow's shot upwards in surprise at the other woman's frank comment. 'Alright, Detective. If you want to play, let's play.' "I was actually referring to cooking for him a second time. However, I'm sure you're right. He wouldn't have any complaints, especially if tonight went as well for him as your Saturday night did for you," she smirked.
Jane nearly choked on the water she was drinking. Coughing and sputtering, she held up her hand when Maura tried to approach, indicating that she would be fine but needed a few moments. "What?" she finally managed to rasp out.
Maura's lips twitched in amusement. "Your date with Erin Saturday night. It obviously ended in a satisfying sexual encounter for you."
The detective coughed a few more times and then cleared her throat. "How could you know that?"
The medical examiner laughed lightly as she sat down beside her friend. "It was fairly obvious," Maura said somewhat smugly. "After all, you were practically glowing yesterday and you were in a ridiculously good mood all day long."
Jane scowled. "So what? You're saying I couldn't just be happy because I was spending time with my friends and family watching football?"
"Your mother spent the day telling you that you needed to get a haircut and complaining that you still don't know how to cook properly," Maura observed pointedly. "You only got one cannoli because Sergeant Korsak and Frankie each had four. And to top it all off, you lost your bet to me on the over/under for the Seattle/Green Bay game, a bet you were gloating about winning with just five minutes left in the game. Yet despite all of that, you were grinning like a Cheshire cat from the time you first walked through the door at noon, until you finally left after the Patriots game." Maura leaned back in her chair, a confident expression on her face. "Something obviously made you very happy, so give me another reason for that dazzling, indefatigable grin you had on yesterday, and I'll admit that I'm wrong about Saturday night. But remember, the Patriots game didn't begin until after 6:30, so you can't pretend that the reason you were in such a good mood all day was because they defeated the Colts."
Jane took a small drink of water and then placed the bottle down on the island. "They didn't 'defeat' the Colts, they destroyed them. That was an ass-kicking for the ages."
"Whatever, and you're deflecting," Maura said calmly. "Admit that I'm right, or give me another reason. It's your choice."
Jane let loose a breath that was half frustration, half disbelief. "Ok, ok. I'll admit you're right about how my date ended Saturday, but for the record, that was only part of the reason I was in a good mood yesterday."
Maura's brow knit slightly as she tilted her head to the side. "What was the other reason?"
"I'm not telling you," the detective replied, setting her jaw stubbornly.
"Why not?"
"You told me to either admit you were right, or give you another reason. I'm admitting you were right, which means I don't have to give you another reason."
It took Maura a few moments to puzzle through what the other woman had said. "But you want to make sure I know that I'm not completely right about why you were in a good mood?"
"Correct."
Maura crossed her arms and looked at her friend skeptically. "Or alternatively, there is no other reason, and you're just making that up because you don't like to lose and you want to drive me insane."
"That is also entirely possible," Jane admitted with a smirk.
Maura counted to five before replying. "You're really annoying sometimes."
"I know!" the detective agreed, grinning gleefully.
Maura decided to ignore the other woman's juvenile behavior. "So how about providing some details about your date," she said, without a hint of guile.
The detective snorted. "The only 'detail' you're getting is that Erin was definitely more than 'merely competent.'"
Maura's eyes widened slightly in surprise, impressed by the relative boldness of Jane's statement. After all, even if she wasn't actually telling Maura anything specific, she was still clearly admitting that she had enjoyed her night with Erin, which was more than the medical examiner could ever remember Jane saying about any previous romantic encounter. "Fine. Maybe you'll be in more of a mood to share details after your date tonight."
"Ok, how the hell do you know I have a date tonight?" Jane demanded.
Maura laughed at her friend's consternation. "I know you, Jane. You're wearing a brand new shirt–"
"Just because I'm wearing a new shirt doesn't mean–"
"AND you spent your day off from work cleaning your apartment," Maura continued, as if Jane hadn't tried to interrupt. "You're either really worried about something, or you're getting ready for a date that you expect to end in your apartment." Maura looked her friend over speculatively. "You don't seem to be worried about anything," she pointed out evenly.
Jane groaned in defeat. "Alright, Detective Isles, you got me again," she said, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "Erin and I are going to see a late movie, and afterwards I'm planning on asking her to go back to my place."
Maura looked at her friend thoughtfully. In the past, Jane would frequently become completely flustered and would rarely provide any information at all about her dates, no matter how hard Maura tried to elicit information from her. Now, though, the detective was not only openly confirming that her relationship with Erin had progressed to include a sexual component, the brunette was even relaxed enough about that fact to joke about it as well. The realization that Jane seemed more at ease talking about such matters caused decidedly mixed feelings within the medical examiner.
On the one hand, she was happy to see that Jane was finally managing to take the first steps towards moving past the idea that sex was something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Maura had always found that attitude to be extremely unhealthy, and she was glad that Jane seemed more at ease and able to enjoy a sexual relationship with another person. On the other hand, she wasn't entirely thrilled that it was some relative stranger who had so quickly managed to bring about this change in her friend. Rationally, Maura had known as soon as Jane had told her that she was dating women that at some point, the detective was bound to meet a special woman who would turn out to be what Jane had been looking for all along. Maura just hadn't expected it to happen so quickly, or to bother her quite so much. The medical examiner couldn't help but wonder if there was something special about this new woman in Jane's life to have prompted the changes she was starting to see. The idea rankled her more than it should have.
Maura's phone chirped, indicating an incoming message and interrupting her train of thought. She rose from her chair and walked over to retrieve her phone from her purse. She frowned when she scanned the text.
"Problem?" Jane asked.
Maura shook her head absently as she typed out her response. "Just a message from Susie about some test results I was waiting on. Unfortunately they don't tell us anything useful. So," Maura asked, as she placed her phone down on the desk. "What did you and Erin do on your date Saturday?"
Seeing the disbelieving look on the other woman's face, the medical examiner let out a short laugh. "I meant before you had sex…or was it just sex?" she asked, teasingly. She didn't really think Jane would give her any explicit details, but at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder just how far she could push things. Mostly, though, Maura really wanted to learn more about this new woman in Jane's life and the dynamic that existed between her and Jane.
"Honestly, I wasn't even sure that's how the night would end up," Jane admitted. "We had dinner and then went dancing, and things just sort of…progressed," the brunette responded with a slight blush.
Once again, Maura was struck by the difference in her friend. Jane's usual reluctance to discuss intimate activities was certainly still present, of course, but beyond that slight bashfulness, Maura could also see something else. The detective seemed infinitely more comfortable in her own skin, and her hesitance to relate any specific details regarding her date seemed more a result of modesty rather than actual embarrassment, as it had so often seemed in the past.
And once again, Maura found herself fighting off feelings of annoyance that this woman whom Jane hadn't even known for more than a month or so was having such a dramatic influence on her friend.
The medical examiner deliberately expunged the negative thoughts from her mind. "Ahhh, dancing," Maura said, forcing a smile onto her face. "'The vertical expression of a horizontal desire legalized by music.'"
Jane shook her head, a dazed expression on her face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Maura laughed. "It's a quote from George Bernard Shaw. It just means that dancing is a societal approved mechanism of indicating sexual interest in another person."
Jane rolled her eyes. "You mean it lets you tell someone you think they're hot," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Yes, 'Giovanni,' that's exactly what I'm saying," Maura replied, her eyes twinkling with humor. "Dancing is a common precursor to sexual activities. As a matter of fact, it was Gerald's skills on the dance floor that attracted me to him in the first place."
"Gerald's dance skills?" Jane asked skeptically.
"That's right."
"Maura, you were waltzing."
"Actually we mainly danced the foxtrot, but yes, we waltzed too."
Jane shook her head dismissively. "Ballroom dancing is not sexy."
"Of course it is."
"Really? You're saying that ballroom dancing gets you hot and bothered?"
Maura pursed her lips. "Come here," she said, gesturing for the other woman to approach.
"Why?"
Maura tapped her foot impatiently. "Jane, please, just come here."
The detective hesitated and then walked over to stand in front of the blonde. "Alright, what?"
"I'm going to show you that ballroom dancing is sexier than you think," Maura said, reaching out for Jane's left hand.
The brunette immediately jerked her hand away and took a step back. "I'm not waltzing."
Maura sighed in exasperation and moved forward. "I'm not asking you to. We don't need to actually dance for me to demonstrate what I'm talking about." The medical examiner held out her hand expectantly. When Jane began to shake her head again in refusal, the blonde allowed a small grin to tug at her lips. "Afraid you'll see I'm right?" she asked, knowing exactly which buttons to push to get the detective to give in.
Jane grimaced and then reluctantly placed her hand in Maura's. "No actual dancing."
"No actual dancing," Maura agreed with mock solemnity, as she placed Jane's left hand on her right shoulder. Maura then took the detective's right hand in her left, palms touching, before finally resting her right hand lightly on the small of Jane's back. The blonde positioned herself so that she was just slightly to Jane's right with only a few inches of space between them.
"Stand up straight, and look into my eyes," Maura instructed quietly, as she drew Jane closer to her.
Jane wavered for a moment and then did as she was told. Maura began to speak, but found herself at a loss for words, as the truth of her situation suddenly hit her. She was holding the best friend she had ever had in her arms. They were standing so close that Maura could feel the heat from the detective's body, and with every breath she took, she was drawing Jane's unique, fragrant scent deep into her lungs. With a flash of insight, Maura realized that her complicated, confusing feelings about Erin weren't so complicated or confusing at all. She was jealous, just not for the reason most people would be under these circumstances.
Maura had known for years that she was attracted to Jane. In truth, it would have been harder to believe that she wasn't attracted to the brunette than that she was. The homicide detective was powerful, gorgeous, caring, and smart, and Maura knew that there was nothing Jane wouldn't do for her if she were to simply ask. But the medical examiner had accepted long ago that she would never be able to have anything other than a platonic relationship with Jane, and even now, holding the brunette in her arms, knowing that the detective was attracted to women, that belief remained unchanged. For Jane, dating was a means to an ends, a way of assessing a potential partner to determine if she wanted to make a long term commitment that would ultimately result in marriage. Maura, however, preferred to keep things casual. For her, dating was the "ends," and she had no interest in becoming involved in any kind of traditional, deep romantic relationship. The two of them wanted completely different things from the people that they dated, and they would be doomed from the start if they were to ever try to cross the line from friends to lovers.
Maura wasn't jealous of Erin because she was Jane's lover. Maura was jealous because Erin posed the potential to become everything that Maura was for Jane in addition to being her lover.
The medical examiner had long known that Jane could never be as emotionally close to a man as she was to a woman. The detective had spent her entire life competing with the boys, and that was never going to change. Jane would always approach any relationship with a man with a certain combative attitude, never willing to entirely let down her guard where her deepest emotions were concerned, and always holding part of herself in reserve. So no matter what other feelings Maura might have had about Jane's relationship with Casey, the one thing she had always taken comfort in was that there was a part of Jane's heart that Casey would never be able to reach, a part that belonged to her. And even though there were times when Maura felt ashamed that she received so much pleasure and relief from this fact, in the end, she didn't care. Maura knew that there would never in her life be another person as important to her as Jane. Knowing that Jane needed her, that Casey would never be able to completely replace her, had made it possible for her to deal with Jane's relationship with the army colonel.
But now Jane was dating women, and there was no longer anything that would hold the detective back from creating a bond with one of these women as deep as anything that Maura and Jane shared. Erin could be the person Jane was looking for to create a new life with, and if not Erin, then one of the women who would certainly come after her while Jane tried to find a permanent romantic partner. Even if she and Jane remained as close as they were now, an outcome Maura knew full well was highly unlikely considering how much less time they would inevitably spend together, their friendship would be fundamentally changed. So many of the things they did now, up to and including the "fake waltzing" they were currently engaged in in her living room, were, at best, weird for two people to do who were supposed to be 'just friends.' It would be out of the question for them to behave in such a familiar manner if Jane were seriously involved with another woman, just as it would be inappropriate for them to continue the teasing and flirting they engaged in on a daily basis.
Suddenly realizing that they had been standing in silence for far too long, Maura cleared her throat. "So," she said. "Holding your partner's hand…looking into the other person's eyes, all the while moving your body in perfect time with each other while you're pressed tightly together." She drew Jane in the remaining distance to her body to emphasize her point and then moved her hips against the other woman's in the semblance of a dance. "You really don't see the appeal of this?" she asked, her voice unconsciously taking on a deeper tone.
Jane swallowed hard as her hips instinctively followed the blonde's. "I guess I never really thought about it being like this."
"Maybe you should," the medical examiner replied. Maura knew that she should end the demonstration. After all, she had made her point and she was just torturing herself by prolonging things any further. Despite those facts, though, she found herself tightening her hold on the other woman and beginning to sway back and forth slowly in time with the music that filled the room. There was going to come a day when this kind of thing would no longer be "allowed," when the personal feelings of someone else would need to be considered whenever Maura wanted some "Jane time." Right now, though, there was no one else to worry about, and Maura wanted to enjoy these moments while she still had the chance.
"I like the new shirt," Maura said softly, after several seconds had passed. "Did you go shopping today?"
"No, I got it Saturday afternoon," Jane replied.
Maura arched an eyebrow in surprise as her hand lightly stroked up and down over Jane's lower back. "You went shopping Saturday afternoon?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Why didn't you ask me to go with you? I told you Friday night I didn't have anything planned for Saturday."
A look of discomfort flashed across Jane's features. A moment later, she released her hold on Maura's hand and stepped back from the medical examiner, ending their "dance." "I didn't want to bother you."
Maura found herself missing the feeling of Jane's body pressed against her own more than she would have thought, and she chided herself for her foolishness. She wasn't losing Jane anytime soon. She didn't need to act as if this was the last time they'd ever be alone together. Drawing in a deep breath, Maura slowly let it out again in an effort to regain her sense of equilibrium. "When has shopping ever been a bother to me?" she asked, confused by the other woman's response.
Jane returned to the kitchen island to retrieve her bottle of water and took a long drink. "Honestly, I wasn't comfortable asking you to help me shop for a shirt to wear on a date with another woman, especially when I…" The detective's voice trailed off uncertainly, as a flush began to appear on her face.
It only took a moment for Maura to realize what the issue had to be. "Wanted to have sex with her?"
Jane sat down and then looked directly at her friend. "Intended to have sex with her."
The words were uttered quietly, but at the same time, there was a sort of calm "certainty" about the way that Jane said them that momentarily gave Maura pause. She was unaccustomed to hearing Jane speak in such an unselfconscious manner with respect to "sexual" issues. Maura thought about the woman Jane was currently seeing, and she found herself wondering just what kind of woman she must be to have inspired such confidence in her friend so quickly and easily.
Pushing aside the thought that Jane might already have actual feelings for Erin, Maura focused on the more immediately pressing issue. Jane was creating distance between them because she was worried how Maura would feel about the detective dating other women. She couldn't afford to let that attitude gain a foothold in their relationship right from the start. "Jane, I've helped you pick out clothing to wear on dates with men. You shouldn't be uncomfortable with me doing the same thing just because you're now dating women."
Jane frowned skeptically. "You don't really believe that, do you?"
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Because things are different now."
"No they aren't." Maura protested.
"Yes, they are," Jane countered. "And the longer we ignore the elephant in the room, the worse it will be."
"'Elephant in the room?'"
"It's an expression…it…it means there's an obvious issue that everyone is aware of but is ignoring."
"And what 'elephant' do you think is in this room?"
Jane sighed heavily. "For as long as I can remember, we've had this kind of harmless 'flirty' thing going on between us, and that was fine before we knew we both liked women, but now?" Jane shook her head slowly. "I'm not sure where the line is anymore between what's ok and what's not ok for us to do as friends, and I don't want to do anything that might end up hurting you."
A long silence filled the room, while the two women simply stared at each other. Maura could see the confusion and worry on the detective's face, and she realized with a sense of relief that Jane was as concerned as she was about making certain that their friendship remained as strong as ever. She could also see something else.
"You're attracted to me," Maura said, the words a statement, not a question. Part of her was thrilled at the idea; another part of her knew that that it changed nothing other than to offer the potential to complicate their friendship.
"Of course I'm attracted to you," Jane replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're beautiful, intelligent, and kind, and you're always there to support me when I need you. I'd have to be a complete idiot to be attracted to women and not be attracted to you." Jane took a deep breath before continuing. "And I'm pretty sure if I asked, you'd tell me that you're attracted to me too."
Maura hesitated, not because she intended to lie, since that would of course be pointless anyway, but because she wanted to decide the best way to respond. "You're right, I am," she finally agreed. "But just because I find you attractive, it doesn't mean that I'll feel compelled to act on that attraction. After all, I find Tommy attractive and I've never felt any serious temptation to pursue him."
The instant the words were out of her mouth, Maura saw Jane's lips flatten into a hard, uncompromising line and she knew that she had said exactly the wrong thing to try to reassure her friend. 'So much for thinking things through first,' she berated herself. "Jane, I'm sorry, I didn't mean–"
The detective rose from her chair. "It's getting late," she said in a tense, clipped voice. "I should be going."
Maura quickly moved forward and placed a hand on Jane's arm to stop her. "No, you're the one who started this. If you want to talk about one elephant, we might as well talk about the whole herd." Maura waited until the other woman gave her a brief, stiff nod, indicating her willingness to hear the medical examiner out. "Jane, Tommy and I are both adults–"
"Exactly," Jane muttered under her breath, deliberately avoiding Maura's gaze.
"And we both know how you feel about the two of us being together. There is zero chance of anything ever happening between Tommy and me, Jane. Not now, not ever."
Jane exhaled heavily, slightly mollified but clearly still not happy. "You say that, but you don't know my brother. He can be extremely charming when he puts his mind to it."
Maura smiled gently. "Trust me, Jane, for the sake of our friendship, I am quite capable of resisting a charming Rizzoli, no matter how incredibly funny, sexy, and beautiful, he, or she, may be."
For several moments, Jane simply stared at her friend, trying to decide what to say. Eventually, she cleared her throat and reached out to take Maura's hand. "You're the most important person in my life," she said softly, her voice filled with emotion.
Maura squeezed Jane's hand reassuringly. "And you're the most important person in mine."
Jane sighed. "But us together as a couple…it'd be a terrible idea, right?"
Maura nodded as a feeling that was equal parts relief and disappointment filled her. "It would never work, but there's no reason this needs to affect our friendship. Everything we've done up until now as friends…dinners, movies, spa days, shopping…"
"Coffee in the morning, calling you in the middle of the night when I can't sleep…"
"Staying over at each other's places when it's too late to go home?"
"All of that," Jane agreed. "We keep doing all of that, right?"
"Absolutely," Maura replied. The medical examiner paused for a moment to carefully consider her next words. "But if at some point you become involved with someone who's bothered by how close we are and you need to take a step back–"
"Then I'll stop being involved with that person," the detective replied with calm finality.
"Jane…you don't have to make that kind of promise to me."
"It's not a promise," Jane said. "Just a simple statement of fact. I don't spend time with you because I don't have anyone else to spend time with. I spend time with you because that's what makes me happy." The detective used her free hand to gently cup the blonde's cheek. "You're irreplaceable, Maura," Jane said softly. "Anyone who wants to be a part of my life will have to accept that my relationship with you is non-negotiable. Ok?"
Maura swallowed to get past the sudden tightness in her throat. "Ok." She knew that what Jane was saying was almost certainly a fantasy, but Maura didn't care. For once in her life, she was going to choose to believe in the fantasy for as long as she could.
Jane exhaled softly and then glanced at the clock on Maura's wall. "I really should go," she said, taking a step back from her friend. "Gerald might get here early and I wouldn't want to intrude."
"Alright," Maura agreed reluctantly. She watched the brunette walk towards the door to the courtyard.
As she began to step outside, the detective paused and looked back at her friend. "Maura?"
"Yes?"
Jane lowered her eyes to focus on the hand resting on Maura's doorknob. "You're the other reason."
Maura frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry, the other reason for what?" she asked, completely confused by the other woman's non sequitur.
The detective shifted uneasily back and forth on her feet. "You're the other reason I was so happy yesterday." Jane lifted her gaze to meet her friend's. "Ever since Friday night…it's like this huge weight is off my shoulders, and I just feel really good right now." The detective cleared her throat awkwardly. "Thanks for making this ok."
For a moment, Maura simply stared at her friend in amazement, as the sudden realization that she had been reading things wrong hit her squarely between the eyes. The change in Jane's attitude wasn't due to her relationship with Erin; it was because of the support that Maura had given her when Jane had come out to her. For the first time in ages, Jane was comfortable and at ease with who she was and what she wanted, and it had been Maura's acceptance of who she was that had allowed the Jane to feel like this.
"You never need to hide anything from me, Jane," Maura said quietly. "You can always tell me anything."
The detective's head dipped slightly in acknowledgement. "Yeah well, I also appreciate you not pushing for more details about Saturday night. I know you think it's a positive thing to talk about stuff like that, but that's just not me."
"I know, and I won't push," Maura promised. "I do, however, reserve the right to on occasion tease, wheedle, inveigle, and cajole to gain information."
"I'll accept teasing and wheedling but no 'bageling' or 'caroling.'"
"Deal," Maura agreed with a smile.
Jane straightened up slightly and began to continue out into the courtyard, but then stopped again. "Oh…there's just one more thing you should know."
"What's that?" Maura asked.
"Despite what you may think, you would not be able to resist the full force of Rizzoli charm if it was used against you."
Maura laughed. "You think so?"
Jane slowly allowed her gaze to travel down Maura's body and then back up again. When her eyes met Maura's, the medical examiner's breath caught in her throat at the smoldering desire she could see in Jane's gaze. For several seconds, the two women simply stared at each other silent and unmoving, until one corner of the detective's mouth tipped upwards in a lazy, sensual smile.
"I know so," Jane said softly, before walking out the door and shutting it behind her.
