Going the Distance

by hyper-chipmunk

She'd wanted to just walk away from him before she did something stupid like go back outside and jump him, except she couldn't seem to make herself leave. Was Joe Grant really worth risking a long distance relationship? Is Jane even willing to try?

4. Chapter 4

Oh geez, I can't apologize enough for this chapter taking so long, once I got started writing it it just grew a mind of its own and went crazy. I actually had to split what was origianlly suposed to be one chapter into two becuase it was just way too long. This is the first part and I think I've made you guys wait long enough for it, I have half of the next chapter written already so hopefully it will be out a lot sooner than this last one took. Still no beta so any and all mistakes are my own and I'm so sorry if you find them but nobody is perfect and I seem to be farther from it than most. Thank you again for all the wonderfull reviews you guys are the reason I keep this thing going! There is no episode tag to this but in case you missed it, the rating did get bumped up to M so no more kiddies allowed. Enjoy and please don't kill me for taking so long, if you do you'll never get part 2!

Disclaimer: If I owned any part of the show do you really think I would be sitting here writng fanfiction about it? That's a negative in case anyone was wondering, I'm just a regular fan with some extra time on my hands and a wacky imagination.

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Wednesday afternoon Jane couldn't stop fidgeting at her desk.

Frost knew something was up with his partner but he didn't have the faintest idea what could possibly be making her so twitchy.

"Jane, you alright over there? You seem a little squirrelly."

"Wha? Oh yeah, I'm fine, just got something on my mind." Jane flippantly deflected his concern.

"Well could you stop with the twitching then please? I can't concentrate with you tweaking out right across from me."

Jane was immediately defensive "Whoa, I am not tweaking out!"

"You can't sit still and that's only your second cup of coffee today so I know it's not caffeine jitters. Yes you are." Frost accused.

Korsak decided he'd add his two cents in to the conversation. "He's right Jane, whatever it is you've got on your mind has got you more hyped up then a 5 year old on a sugar rush. Spill the beans already."

Jane had absolutely no intention to doing what they asked. She hadn't even told Maura about her and Joe yet, there was no way she was letting Korsak or Frost in on the secret.

"It's nothing, just this thing I've got tonight."

"If you say so Jane, but whatever it is it must be important…it doesn't involve a man does it? Do you have a date tonight?" Frost guessed mockingly scandalized.

Jane hoped the blush she felt creeping up from her neck wasn't noticeable to anyone else "None of your business Frost, now leave it alone will ya?"

She wasn't as lucky as she hoped she'd be.

"Aw look you're blushing! So you do have a date, who is he?"

The confirmation of Jane's evening plans caught Korsak's attention. "Hold the phone, you do have a date?" he rolled his chair over to her desk "Where'd you meet this guy? What's his name?"

"Will everyone just please drop it? It's not a date, ok? It's just this thing I have to do."

Korsak wasn't about to give up that easily. "Wait, is it that FBI guy? He asked you out last time he was in town didn't he? What was his name?"

"Special Agent Dean" Frost filled in for him.

"No!" Jane vehemently protested. Sure he was cute and she might have given him a shot if he'd stuck around but she didn't want any rumors to start flying around the precinct. Even with Joe gone word could still get back to him and she was no cheater, she didn't need Joe thinking she was.

"Ok so no FBI guy." Korsak relented "Did you meet him around town? Out on a run maybe? Didn't you say the Doc talked you into running the marathon with her this year?"

Jane dropped her head on her desk. "Ugh please don't remind me, I've still got a few months before I have to face that."

"You aren't gonna tell us are you?" Frost was only mildly disappointed, it was fun to tease Jane but not to the point that it really upset her.

"No, I'm not telling anyone anything! Mind your own damn business and finish your paperwork." Jane threw herself into the pile of papers piled on her desk and tried to drown out the rest of the world around her.

"Well whoever this guy is I hope he's good enough for you Jane. You deserve some happiness too." Frost told her quietly before focusing on the paperwork demanding his attention.

Jane didn't respond verbally but she did glance up long enough to flash her partner an easy smile. All was forgiven for now.

The rest of her work day consisted of filling out and filing various papers, staring until her eyes hurt at cold cases and visiting Maura down in her lab.

As much as it was good there were currently no new murders for them to solve, it meant excruciatingly boring days at work for her and that was not something to look forward to. She really hoped, (but also equally didn't hope) she'd get a case called in soon so she could get out of the office and do something productive.

On the other hand, no new case meant an early day and this day in particular she would have something very captivating to look forward to. Something so much better than her dog and whatever was on TV, which is what she usually came home to.

Maybe an annoyingly dull day at work was ok for today.

Sometime after 6 Jane was fed up with paperwork and headed out for the day.

As she gathered her things she said her good byes for the night. "See ya guys, I've done enough paperwork today to last me a life time."

"Night Jane, have fun on your date with Mr. Mystery." Frost chuckled in return.

Jane was not amused. "You think you're funny don't ya?"

"Of course I am, I'm very funny."

"Yeah funny lookin'" Jane mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?"

She didn't waste anytime in making her escape for the door. "Nothin' I'm out of here. See you tomorrow." She threw up her arm and sent a half hearted wave behind her.

She ran into Maura in the parking garage.

"Hey Maura, you headed home too?"

The impeccably dressed medical examiner greeted her friend with an effortless smile. "Yes, I think I've spent a sufficient amount of time working today. I'm looking forward to a hot bath and some online shoe shopping."

Jane snorted "Sounds exciting. Well don't let me keep you from such a riveting evening." She held her arms out in an after you gesture.

"Oh, Jane are coming to Yoga with me this weekend? You promised you would at least give it a try." Maura reminded her for the fourth time that month.

Jane had certain plans on how to spend her weekend and yoga was definitely nowhere on the agenda. She felt bad weaseling out of it again but there was no way it was going to happen when Joe was in town. "Uh, not this week Maur, sorry. I promise I'll go with you twice next week. I have something I have to do this weekend and it's kind of important."

"Ok, but I'm going to hold you to that. An evening of Kundalini or Hatha yoga would be very relaxing for you. Then we can move up to something more invigorating like a Vinyasa class for the weekend, I don't think you are quite ready for an Ashtanga session yet though."

"Got it, raccoon relaxation during the week then Vin Diesel for the weekend, you can count me in."

Maura just stared at her looking very perplexed. "I'm not sure I'll ever understand you Jane."

"The feeling's mutual." Jane merely smiled and waved before retreating to the safety of her car.

She'd just reached out to open her door when her phone rang. There was only one person she wanted to be on the other end.

"Hey babe, I just wanted to let you know I'm boarding now so better hide anything you don't want me seeing because I'm going to be there soon." Joe informed her.

Jane was digging through her stuff for her car keys as she talked. "I can't wait, you said the flight was a little over an hour right?"

"Yeah barring any delays I should be in around 7:45. I'm keeping my fingers crossed there won't be a lot of air traffic at this time of day." There was a garbled loud speaker announcement on his end of the line "Alright I have to go, see you shortly baby."

"I'll be there waiting for you."

Jane spent about 45 minutes cleaning up her apartment before taking Joe Friday out for a quick walk before she had to leave for the airport.

Half way through their walk around the park it started raining.

She made a mad dash back to her apartment to escape the sudden downpour but the damage had already been done. She smelled like the wet dog she'd picked up to carry in an effort to get back home quicker.

Frustrated at Boston's abrupt weather changes she reluctantly toweled down her dog then jumped in the shower to rinse off and hopefully get rid of the wet dog smell still clinging to her.

She dried off and dressed as quickly as she could but her impromptu shower had set her behind schedule.

She hurried out the door and seriously toyed with the idea of pulling out the emergency police light and siren she kept in her car to get through traffic on time. She ultimately decided against it but not without a pretty heated mental debate.

The rain slowed everything down and seemed to turn everyone on the road into even bigger assholes than usual. She got cut off four times before she could finally make out the approaching airport terminal through the falling rain.

She maneuvered through airport traffic as fast as she safely could and found a spot in the short term parking lot then made a run for the closest door. In her haste to get out the door in time she'd left her umbrella in the canister on the floor by the door in her apartment.

Jane only took a few steps in the sliding doors before her phone alerted her that Joe was calling.

Suddenly she was shaking again. She wasn't sure if it was from the chilled rain cooling her skin in the air conditioning or her nerves, she suspected it had more to do with the latter.

"Hey babe, did you make it here in one piece? I can't help but notice you made it rain again, you did that on purpose didn't you?" Just hearing his warm teasing voice and knowing he was here in Boston somewhere in the same terminal as her had an excited shiver skittering down her spine. Now she just had to find him.

"Yeah well you know me; I like to keep things interesting. It's Boston's way of saying welcome back." She wandered around aimlessly looking for a sign for the arrivals bay to point her in the right direction. "Where are you anyway?"

Her question was met with silence. "Joe?"

"Turn around Jane." Jane stiffened and froze completely at the voice that had clearly not come from her phone.

For the first time since she'd watched him walk away from her and out of Boston over a month ago Jane finally had Joe back.

Without really even processing her movements she whirled around on him and all but jumped into his open arms. Joe returned her hug, firmly wrapping both his arms around her. He buried his nose in her damp hair and took a deep breath savoring her scent.

Jane closed her eyes and rested her head against his, content to just bask in his warmth and the fact that he was actually there. He wasn't just a voice over the phone anymore.

Joe pressed a gentle kiss to Jane's forehead and let his lips linger there for a few blissful moments. He left other sweet little kisses across her face, starting by tenderly ghosting his lips over one closed eyelid, then moved on to her cheek, over to the tip of her nose then finally dropped to the corner of her mouth. "I missed you so much Jane" he whispered to her before finally meeting her lips for a proper kiss.

It was everything she remembered and more, scalding heat, quiet raging passion and liquefied lust.

Standing there in a random terminal of Logan International Airport tangled in Joe's arms Jane was completely and unequivocally happy for the first time in many years. She didn't even mind the PDA.

Jane smiled into the kiss and broke the contact of their lips just a few millimeters. They were still close enough to breathe in the same air and his warm breath mingled with hers for countless seconds before a few breathless words slipped past her lips for his ears only. "Welcome home baby"

Then she pulled him back to her for another shorter, but no less intense welcoming kiss.

His head was a little fuzzy from the sensory overload of kissing her again but his brain was still functioning well enough to catch what she'd called him. She probably didn't even realize she'd said it at all. He was well aware of the fact it wasn't likely he'd hear it from her lips again anytime soon but he didn't mind. Joe couldn't have suppressed his grin if his life depended on it.

All too soon for his liking Jane had pulled away from his embrace and took a few steps back. She gave him a once over from head to toe. He looked good in suits but she much preferred the dressed down version of him that she was being treated to.

Joe watched her, amused at her unabashed appraisal "Do I pass inspection?"

Jane met his eyes and smiled again. "You'll do for now."

Her observation was met with a raised eyebrow from Joe.

Then he saw the hungry glint in her eyes. "You look good Joey" Jane amended her previous statement. "Let's get out of here"

"No objections here." Joe reached back to grab the handle on his carry on bag with one hand and used the other to catch Jane's hand and lace his fingers with hers.

Jane was hesitant at first, she didn't usually do the whole hand holding routine but it didn't take her long to adjust to the reassuring feeling of his warm hand wrapped up in hers. If she wasn't careful Joe was going to tear down all her carefully constructed walls and turn her into one of those ditsy girly girls, she'd never forgive herself if she let it go that far.

Walking at a leisurely pace back towards the parking lot, Joe was content to let Jane navigate their way through the throngs of people passing by. When they reached the sliding doors that would lead them back outside into the rain she paused just inside of the door. The motion sensors controlling the movement of the doors held them open as she glanced sideways at Joe. "You ready?"

The fresh damp scent of rain permeated the air just in front of them. Boston air smelled different than D.C air; it had a certain crispness that was absent from the warmer and more humid climate of the south. Just one more thing Joe had missed from his home town.

With one decisive nod of his head they both plunged out into the downpour.

By the time they found her sedan in the lot and got the doors unlocked both were soaking wet and near hysterically laughing. Jane flipped on the heater in her car and turned it up full blast to warm them up on the way back to her apartment.

They spent the ride home stealing sidelong glances at each other and trading smiles when they caught the other looking. Joe's left hand had comfortably settled on her thigh and his thumb traced soothing circles into the denim covering her leg for the entirety of the trip.

They pulled up right in front of her building on the street. Jane switched off the engine and turned toward her passenger. "So do you want to stay in here while I get the door or brave the storm with me?"

"Well I'm already wet; at little more won't kill me."

"Ok tough guy, let's get this over with then." With her keys in her hand she opened the car door and made a run for the entrance.

On her way up her foot slipped on the slick surface of the concrete that made up her front steps and she felt herself starting to topple over backwards. Her fall was broken by a pair of strong arms and a sturdy chest.

Jane was slow to recover. "Gosh you're mighty convenient to have around aren't you? Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, I'm glad I could be so handy." Joe kept one arm around her waist and let her open the door for them both.

"You know I have the strangest feeling of déjà vu" Joe remarked as they walked through the door.

"Oh really? I wonder why?" Jane deadpanned.

"Hmm…must have done something wrong last time. Hope I can fix that this time around."

Jane's answer was quiet but sincere. "You and me both."

Upon walking into her apartment Joe Friday scampered out from her dog bed and met them at the door with a wagging tail.

Jane knelt down to pick her up. "Hello Joe Friday, are you all dry now? I hope you stayed off the couch like I told you to."

The little dog showed no indication she understood what Jane was saying but she was more than happy to lick her face.

"You named your dog after me?" Joe asked baffled after finally hearing the dog's name.

"No, Korsak named her, and Joe is short for Josephine not Joseph in case you missed the pink collar she's wearing. I wasn't even talking to you yet when I adopted her…or I guess I should say when Korsak dumped her on me is more like it." Jane deposited the dog back on the floor. "But she's pretty cute so I keep her around, kind of like someone else I know." She threw a playful wink in Joe's general direction.

Jane kicked off her wet sneakers and left them by the door. "You can put your bag in my room if you want." She instructed pointing to a slightly open door down the hallway. "And grab a few towels from the hall closet on your way back; I have to feed the dog."

Joe followed her cue and divested himself of his wet shoes and paused for a second to contemplate before also pulling off his wet socks and carrying them with him. Soggy toes were no fun.

He nudged the door open and flicked on the light switch. The scarce light in the room illuminated soft orange walls and dark wooden furniture. It was earthy, with little splashes of color in a lone green chair in the corner and her two blue table lamps, but over all very simple, and so characteristically Jane.

He left his bag on the chair and retreated to the hall closet to get the towels Jane had asked for.

As Jane was putting the small bowl of kibble on the floor for Joe the dog, Joe the human snuck up behind her. He wrapped her up in a towel and held her there in his arms.

Jane's first instinct was to struggle so she only just barely managed to stop herself from stomping on his foot and elbowing him in the face before she realized who had grabbed her. She didn't however stop herself in time to prevent knocking the back of her head against Joe's forehead when he initially startled her.

"Oww Jane! Jesus what was that for?" Joe rubbed his sore head, trying to sooth the bruise that was not doubt forming as they spoke.

"Don't sneak up on me! I'm not used to people grabbing me ok? I'm a cop remember? I didn't do it on purpose, it was a reflex."

"I'll be sure to make a note of that." Joe whined "For the next few days could you try looking before you leap into ninja warrior mode? Just as a favor to me and my poor head? I'd rather not get a concussion my first night back with you."

Jane did feel bad about the incident but it wasn't entirely her fault, he started it. "I'll work on it but self preservation instincts are hard to ignore, it's why we have them. Maybe you should just not sneak up on me like a normal human being."

"Where's the fun in that? Next time I'll just wear a helmet for safety."

"Ah come on you big baby, it can't be that bad, here…" she dropped a kiss over the sore spot on his head "now it's all better, I'll get you some ice and we can watch a movie or something." Jane moved to grab an ice pack from her freezer. "I don't feel like going back out in the torrential rain so dinner is either take-out or whatever we can scrounge up from the fridge that isn't green or fuzzy."

Joe took the proffered ice pack from Jane's hand and turned back to sit on the couch without commenting.

"Whoa there swamp thing, don't you dare sit on my couch in those wet clothes! I don't want it smelling funny or getting moldy." Jane grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back to her room.

Once inside, Jane found his bag on the chair and threw it on her bed to rummage through. Joe observed her from the doorway as she went through his stuff looking for whatever it was she was after.

She pulled out a green button down shirt, a pair of sweat pants, one of his white undershirts and a t-shirt. She handed him the t-shirt and sweats and kept the rest for herself. Along with a pair of cotton pajama pants her ensemble was complete.

Jane turned around and stared at Joe expectantly. "Well, what are you waiting for? Or did your bump on the head injure your functionality?"

"I wouldn't mind some help if you're offering. Head wounds can be very disorienting you know, I could end up putting my shirt on backwards if you don't assist me." His deep voice dripping with innuendo caused the blood in her veins to heat up and her heart rate to suddenly spike. He stared back at her, offering a challenge with his eyes.

She left the pile of his and her clothes on her bed and took a few deliberate steps towards Joe, challenge accepted.

"I'd hate to leave you in the lurch like that, backwards clothes are so uncomfortable. Come a little closer and I'll see what I can do." She enticed him, her eyes never leaving his.

"I guess I can handle that" Joe closed the distance between them to just a few inches. "This close enough?" He discarded the ice pack on her bedside table and tossed the clothes she'd picked out on her bed then let his hands settle on her hips to keep them close.

Jane reached up and undid the first button on his shirt. "Yeah I think I can take it from here."

Joe let out a groan as she took her time undoing the rest of his buttons then slid her warm hands under the open sides of the shirt to slide it from his wet body. His breath hitched in his throat when those lusciously soft hands came back down to find their way to his chest under his shirt and lightly scratched his ribs before peeling away his undershirt entirely.

Jane's pupils dialed and turned dark.

She ran her hands up and down his chest caressing firm smooth skin as she went. She kept her eyes locked with his as her hands descended to his belt. She carefully undid the length of leather and deliberately popped the button on his jeans.

Joe's grip on her hips tightened but he wasn't quite ready to move yet, his control was wavering dangerously on the verge of crumbling completely.

Her delicate fingers were confident as they gently lowered the zipper of his jeans then moved to his hips to tug them down his legs. Joe was left standing in only his boxers with his pants pooled around his feet.

They still had yet to look away from one another.

"Your move Joey" Jane taunted, leaving the proverbial ball in his court.

He stepped out of his pants and left them in a pile on the floor where they fell.

After lifting one hand to brush back some loose hair behind her ear he cupped her cheek and smiled.

Finally breaking eye contact, he very slowly and deliberately leaned forward to answer her taunt with one of his own whispered in her ear. "Never took you for the sort of girl to sleep with a guy on the first date."

"What first date?" she countered automatically.

Joe nibbled on her ear "Exactly."

Although Jane really wasn't that kind of girl, being there in the heat of the moment she was willing to bend her rules just once more for him. "Only thing stopping us right now is you Joey."

Jane's hands skimmed over up his back and then lightly scratched back down bringing with them a shudder of pleasure down his spine and drawing a growl from his throat.

Joe had to close his eyes and take a few deep breaths to get his raging hormones under control. "God Jane, it kills me to say this but as much as I'd love to just throw you on that bed and ravish you all night you deserve so much more than that. Call me old fashioned but I'm really lookin' forward to that date with you in that slinky black dress." He pressed a chaste kiss to her temple.

Jane abruptly pulled back from him astonished. "You're seriously telling me you're willing to forfeit a night of wild sex with your consenting "girl friend" because you want to dress me up and take me out to eat first? I'm not buying it, what's the real reason?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I have a headache?"

Jane cocked her head slightly to the side skeptically "Have you suddenly grown a uterus and ovaries?"

"Not the last time I checked, no. But I do have a nice bump on the head." Joe answered.

"Then no, I don't believe you. Is it…is it me? God it is, isn't it? Frog-faced Rollie Pollie Rizzoli strikes again." Jane pulled away from him entirely as her eyes started to mist up and turned her back to try to regain some composure. It seemed her childhood was coming back to haunt her after all, she thought she'd gotten over that years ago.

"Damn it Jane!" Joe spun her around and kissed her hard and fast. He parted her lips with his tongue and let it glide over every inch of her mouth before reluctantly pulling away and staring straight in her eyes, his hands firmly on her shoulders. Her eyes were slightly glazed over but he made sure he had her full attention.

His voice was hushed but the forceful tone he used left no room for argument. "You're gorgeous Jane, don't believe anyone if they ever tell you differently. There is no more rollie pollie Rizzoli, there never really was to begin with. All there is, and ever will be, is an extremely talented, breathtakingly beautiful and amazing beyond comparison Jane Rizzoli."

She was still hesitant to believe him. "Yeah?"

"Absolutely." He stated it as if it were a known and accepted scientific fact. "I just don't want to rush things Jane. I've waited so long for an opportunity to convince you we should give this a chance; I don't want to screw it up already. You've been in the back of my mind since before I even hit double digits, now that I have you I'm going to do everything I can to keep you, even if it means doing something ludicrous like denying us one night of wild monkey sex to do things properly."

Jane almost knocked him over when she lunged to hug him. She nuzzled her nose into his shoulder and broke out into a ridiculously goofy grin. He was by far the best confidence booster she'd ever experienced.

He felt her smile against his bare skin and returned the action.

Goosebumps formed on his arms as Jane's warm breath blew across his shoulder and tickled his neck. She noticed the raised flesh as she brushed a hand down one of his arms to reach for his hand and broke the embrace. "Come on; time to get you into some clothes so I'm not tempted to jump you unexpectedly and ruin all your chivalrous plans."

Jane grabbed the t-shirt from the pile of clothes he'd discarded and helped him into it. He snatched up the sweats from the bed before she could offer to help with those too. It would be way too tempting to have her be that close to very sensitive bits of his anatomy and not throw her on the bed and have his way with her.

He slipped the sweats on quickly and then refocused his attention on her. "Now to return the favor"

Standing in her dimly lit bedroom in damp clothes clinging to every curve of her body and leaving very little to the imagination, she was one of the most alluring things he'd ever seen. The shit eating grin she was flashing him made him weak in the knees, if he wanted to stick to his guns he'd have to do something about that situation.

Joe crept closer to her and pulled the damp shirt from her body and over her head, tickling her sides on the way up. He was met with no resistance, only that cute little encouraging if slightly timid smile. She allowed him to dress her in his undershirt then pull the green button down on over it, leaving it unbuttoned but rolling up the sleeves how he suspected she had planned on doing in the first place.

A brief hesitation preceded his decision to return the favor of taking off her pants for her. With his hands resting on her hips again he lowered himself down on one knee to the floor and looked up at her for any sign of fear or uncertainty. He was trying to keep this playful but if she suddenly got skittish he wanted to be ready to stop.

When her expression did not reveal any such emotions he used both hands to pop the button of her jeans and lower the zipper. He was rewarded for his efforts with a glimpse of emerald green satin, now he understood why she picked that shirt out in particular.

Encouraged by her acceptance of his position he leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to the soft skin right below her belly button then blew a raspberry in the same spot. The resulting protesting wiggles to get him to stop made it hard to wrestle the wet denim from her legs but he managed it after a few attempts. Her jeans joined his rumbled jeans in a pile on the floor.

He reached out and groped around on the bed for the pair of pajama pants she'd taken out. When his hands found the soft fabric he pulled them down to the floor and let her step into them before pulling them up her legs and settling them comfortably on her hips. He stood back up in front of her and smiled. "All done life size Barbie."

Jane shot him a death glare and for several long seconds neither dared to move until finally Jane's resolve broke and she laughed. Joe took the initiative and led her by the hand out of her bedroom and back to the living room, relieved that he hadn't gotten scolded for what he'd called her.

By silent agreement they settled on the couch and Joe pulled Jane in close to snuggle up against him. They ended up with Joe leaning sideways against the arm of the couch with Jane leaning back against his chest. One of Joe's arms was securely wrapped around her and the other he used to run his fingers through her hair. Joe Friday hopped up on to the couch as well to join the party and settled down in Jane's lap. They made a nice little picture the three of them all piled together on her couch, he only wished he could take a picture of this moment so he could remember it later.

The comfortable silence they had been sharing was shattered by a loud grumbling noise originating from somewhere around Jane's stomach.

"You didn't eat dinner did you?" Joe scolded

"No, I was waiting for you. I figured we could eat together." Jane admitted bashfully.

The clock on her cable box alerted them to the fact that it was nearing 9 o'clock. There were plenty of take out places that delivered late but Joe wanted to do something nice for Jane to make up for the fact that she hadn't gotten what she wanted tonight.

"How about we just see what you have in the fridge? I don't cook very often but I can make a mean meat or veggie omelet." He offered

Jane tried to recall the contents of her fridge but she didn't look in it very often so her memory was a bit vague. "You'd probably have better luck finding vegetables then usable meat. I don't cook very often either but Ma comes over and makes family dinner here sometimes so she leaves me with any leftovers. I'm not actually sure when the last time I went grocery shopping was." It was a startling thought but she was usually so busy with the job things like cleaning and grocery shopping got pushed down on the to do list in favor of things like sleeping and eating.

Joe pulled them both up off the couch and made his way into her kitchen to check the fridge for edible ingredients.

He scrounged around until he found a red bell pepper, a few passable cherry tomatoes from a questionable plastic container of them, half of an onion, four random mushrooms in a Ziploc bag and a mostly full carton on eggs. He piled them all up on the counter and surveyed his findings. It wasn't much but he could work with it.

Before undergoing his dinner endeavor he pulled out two beers from her fridge door and handed one to her then popped the top on his own bottle.

"Alright, sit back and relax as I wow you with my extravagant cooking skills."

Jane complied and took a seat on a stool behind the kitchen divider to watch him as he worked. Between sips of beer and random idle chit chat she pointed out cabinets and drawers full of various items he needed as they went.

She feared that they might eventually run out of things to talk about since that's all they ever were able to do over the phone when they were apart, but it was surprisingly easy to keep up a lively conversation.

Joe was funny in a silly big kid kind of way but quick witted and entertaining to argue with. Their personalities usually lead to them bickering and name calling but they were actually rather complimentary to each other and also left plenty of opportunity for sweet little exchanges and long animated debates.

When he presented her a plate with his finished product on it she was actually surprised to find it tasted as good as it looked. Together they enjoyed a cozy little dinner of omelets and toast then put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen.

Afterwards, they ended up back on the couch flipping through channels to find something decent to watch before bed.

It turned out Spike TV was having a marathon of all six Star Wars movies so Jane made herself comfortable sprawled over Joe once again and settled in to watch episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back.

Before Luke even crash landed on Yoda's planet Jane was out cold. When Joe noticed, he turned off the TV then gathered her up in his arms and carried her to bed.

Once she was securely under the covers he climbed into bed next to her and pulled her in close. With an arm around her waist and her legs tangled up with his Joe drifted off to sleep feeling as though he'd finally ended up where he belonged.

---

The early morning sun pouring in through the windows roused Joe from his peaceful slumber several hours later.

He opened his eyes and was met with a face full of dark familiar hair. It had been awhile since he'd woken up with someone next to him and having that someone be Jane was about as close to heaven as he could imagine at the moment.

Joe took a few minutes to observe her features as she slept. Jane looked so much younger and more carefree when she was asleep; it was incredibly endearing to know she wasn't always the brash and headstrong cop he knew so well.

Seeing her here like this, bathed in sunshine and blissfully spooned up against him she didn't look like a cop at all, the beautiful woman below all her rough exterior and obstinate personality was shining through.

He didn't want to disturb her but nature was calling and he doubted Jane would appreciate what would happen when he couldn't hold it in any longer. She already teased him about being a kid; he didn't want to give her any more ammunition about bed wetting to add to the list.

He extracted himself as carefully as he could from her and crept to the bathroom determined not to make a sound that might wake her up. When he returned to her room after relieving himself he found that his efforts were futile anyway.

Jane was sitting up in bed looking all too much like a small child rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She noticed him lingering by the door watching her. "Hey you, I thought you ran off on me."

"Like I would ever do that" he reassured her "I just had to go to the bathroom. I tried not to wake you, guess I didn't do a very good job"

She let out a big yawn before answering "I didn't hear you at all but I got cold when you left and it woke me up." She glanced at the digital clock by her bed "No worries, I have to be up soon anyway to get ready for work. I made sure I'm not on call this weekend but I couldn't get all of today off so I have to go in for a few hours in the morning and possibly the afternoon. Are you going to be able to entertain yourself on your own?"

"Yeah that's fine. I have to drop by my old place and pack anything that's left there up so I can move it all to storage today. I was thinking of calling some of my buddies from my old unit to see if they can give me a hand with the bigger stuff."

"Well if you want to stop by the station for lunch we can grab something in the area to give you a break between all the heavy lifting. Just keep it low profile if you do swing by please, I already have Korsak and Frost on my case enough as it is."

Joe studied her face as she gently pleaded with him. "You're not ashamed of being seen with me are you?" He was genuinely curious why she was so reluctant to let anyone know about them.

"No, of course not! I would just like to keep my personal life just as it sounds it should be. I don't want everyone at work knowing my business." She explained to ease his doubts "They can get their own lives; they don't need to know everything about mine."

"Alright I believe you, I'm just checkin' because whether you like it or not we're going out tonight for that date I promised you so you don't have much choice but to be seen with me. I hope that won't be an issue for you."

Her sleepy smile was all the assurance he needed. "It won't be an issue."

"You promise?" he goaded her

Jane held out her hand, little finger extended in good faith. "Pinky swear"

"You got yourself a deal babe." Joe linked their fingers together and kissed her knuckles. He pulled her to stand on her feet and start getting ready for the day ahead.

While Jane hopped in the shower Joe started a pot of coffee and found the fixings for pancakes. By the time Jane emerged from her room clean and dressed for work there was a small stack of pancakes waiting for her on a plate and a glass of orange juice. She settled down on a stool next to him at the kitchen divider to enjoy her breakfast.

"You're going to spoil me for all other men aren't you?" She said between mouthfuls of pancakes drenched in syrup.

Joe's lazy smile was beginning to be one of her favorite sights "That was part of the plan and I'm perfectly ok with that. All the more reason for you to stop fighting it and just accept it now."

"And miss out on whatever grand gesture it was you were planning on doing to make me cave in the first place? I don't think so, I kinda like it."

Joe laughed heartily "Don't worry, a little resistance won't deter me from my goal."

"Good, I seem to remember some claim about keeping your eyes on the prize. I hope that still applies."

"You betcha, and what a prize it is." Joe let his eye linger on her for a moment before glancing at the clock on her microwave "You should probably get going soon, don't want you to be late for work."

"Fine, I'm going, I'm going. Pour me a cup of coffee for the road?" She asked hopefully.

He rounded the counter and filled a travel mug with fresh coffee then added the last of the milk before handing it off to her on her way to the door. "Don't I at least get a kiss goodbye?"

Jane was happy to grant such a simple and pleasurable request. She pulled him in for a quick heated kiss then slipped out the door.

While Jane was at work Joe took a shower and changed into some of his older clothes that he didn't care if they would get ruined during the moving process. He made himself his own cup of coffee to take with him and then locked the door before he left.

He had arranged to rent a pick up truck for the day to do most of the moving so he picked up the truck from the rental place then headed back to his old apartment.

He spent the rest of the morning making calls to local self storage places and friends to catch up or ask for some assistance, then packing up boxes of anything he would be taking to Jane's.

By 11:45 he was ready to start doing all but the heavy lifting so he made a few trips and loaded the bed of the truck up with as much as he could by himself. He unloaded the truck at the storage unit and decided it was late enough to pull Jane away for some lunch.

Joe made one stop before pulling into the familiar parking garage and finding an open spot in the visitor section. He'd warned his old colleagues he'd stop by but he figured he should give Jane a heads up just in case.

He held his phone with one hand and carried a bag with the other as he made his way towards the entrance. He dialed and waited for the familiar greeting.

"Rizzoli"

"Hey babe, are you ready to be kidnapped? I'm in the garage; I just want to make a quick stop by the drug unit then I thought we could get some sandwiches or something."

There was some scrambling on her side of things and he could just barely hear her arguing with someone. He thought he could make out her partner's voice in the background but he wasn't sure. She came back over the line a second later "Ok let me know when you're ready to go and I'll meet you outside. Excuse me while I go kill Frost and depose of the body."

"I can bring a shovel if you want" he offered "They have them at the hardware store down the street for pretty cheap."

"Don't tempt me. I'll see you soon ok? I have to go."

He got in a quick good bye before she hung up. "Bye babe, I'll see you."

The drug unit wasn't on the same floor as homicide so he wasn't too concerned with possibly running into anybody in Jane's circle.

He walked into the open office space and headed for his friend's desk. He surprised Detective Jared Donnelly by deposited the bag on his desk with very little preamble. "My thank you present to you as promised."

Jared peeked inside the bag to check out its contents. Inside was a case of beer and a box of doughnuts. "I knew you wouldn't leave me hanging." He said in lieu of thank you. The two friends bumped fists in long standing tradition.

"Of course." He nodded "It was the least I could do, you did do me a big favor, two actually."

"I'm not sure what I did could be considered big but we look out for our own right?"

"Every damn day." Joe patted Jared on the back and leaned on his friend's desk to catch up.

Word of his return spread quickly through the unit and he was stopped by no less than half a dozen other people before he managed to get away. He didn't miss his old job but sometimes he did miss the people.

While he waited for the elevator to take back down to the ground floor he called Jane to let her know he would be outside shortly. When the sliding doors opened Joe was a bit startled to see Frost exiting the lift.

They weren't the best of friends but he had been his commanding officer for a short period of time, he felt rude ignoring him entirely. Instead of a formal greeting he acknowledged his presence with a polite nod and his name "Detective Frost"

To say that Frost was surprised was a bit of an understatement. He was pretty sure his former Lieutenant had relocated to D.C. What was he doing back in Boston? "Um hello Sir, what brings you back to our neck of the woods?"

"Just some personal business to take care of. I'm actually on my way out if you'll excuse me." Joe replied coolly, wedging a hand in between the closing doors to make sure the elevator wouldn't leave without him on it.

"Of course, but just a friendly word of advice before you go…steer clear of Homicide, Jane's on a rampage and I know you two never got along particularly well to begin with, save yourself a headache."

It was difficult to suppress the snort of laughter his advice caused. Little did Frost know it was probably he that would be relieving Jane of a headache by getting her out of the office and away from him.

The doors slid shut on their conversation and Joe finally got the opportunity to openly indulge in a round of laughter. He was still in good spirits when he found Jane outside leaning on one of the brick walls just beyond the entranceway waiting for him. She didn't look as amused.

"What's got you in such a good mood ?"

Joe kissed her cheek and starting leading her down the street away from the building. "Well I get to take you to lunch for one thing. Also I was just thinking of something funny I heard"

Jane could stand to hear something funny; maybe it would help brighten her mood. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"I ran into Frost on the elevator. He warned me to save myself a headache and keep out of your way since you're apparently on the warpath."

Jane did crack a smile at that. "He was being a pain in the ass, so I may have taken the liberty of returning the favor." She reached down and actually grabbed his hand to hold timidly as they walked. "I'm glad you didn't follow his advice"

"Me too." He grinned at her adoringly.

Lunch was relaxing and just what Jane needed to kick the funk that she had fallen into after being stuck at work all morning. She tried to drag it out as long as she reasonably could but she knew she'd have to jump back into the lion's den eventually. Joe kept up his chivalry act and picked up the check then walked her back to the station.

Just out of sight of any windows in the station he pulled her in for a searing kiss. "Something to get you through the day" he explained after he pulled away and wrapped her up in a hug.

Disoriented from the unexpected show of affection, it took Jane a moment to recover. She returned the hug then dug in her pocket for something. "Here, in case you need to get back into my apartment and you can't get a hold of me."

Jane dropped something small and metallic in his hand. He looked down to find a Boston PD keychain with a single silver key on it. "Are you sure? Don't you need this?"

"Nah, it's my spare I usually keep in my desk for emergencies, you can keep it. I'll make a new one."

Joe wasn't about to turn down an offer like that. He stowed the key safely in his pocket.

"Ok so I'll meet you back at home when I manage to blow this joint?" Jane double checked, she wasn't sure what Joe had planned for the evening.

"Yes ma'am. I should be done by the time you get back but if I'm not there try my cell." He confirmed. "Now stop stalling and get back to work" He made a shooing motion to get her going.

Jane pressed a quick kiss on his cheek then reluctantly walked the rest of the way back to finish her day at work.

With the added help of two of his friends who had a few hours to spare they moved Joe's couch, recliner, dresser and kitchen table to the already half filled storage unit. It didn't take as long as he'd planned so he had some time to kill before their dinner reservations.

He spent an hour catching up with his two friends at their favorite hangout but made sure not to drink too much. He wanted to be completely sober for later.

After bidding his friends good-bye he stopped by the nearest grocery store and picked up a few essentials and then a little extra. His plan for the weekend didn't really go much past keeping Jane in bed for as long as he could but he figured they'd have to eat eventually. It would be more convenient to stock up now than have to go back out later.

Joe still managed to beat Jane back to her apartment.

He used his newly acquired key to unlock the door and smiled, she really was trying to let him in her life.

Unloading the groceries didn't take too long after a little guess work with where certain things went. After he put the carton of milk he'd bought in the fridge he turned around to find Joe Friday staring up at him expectantly.

He bent down to pat the little dog on the head and scratch behind her ears. "So what do you think girl, is your mommy going to like my surprise tonight?"

She wagged her tail and gave a few yippy barks. He hoped that was dog speak for yes.

He moved to sit on the couch but Joe Friday followed him right on his heels. She looked up at him and barked again then purposely looked at the door and then back at him. When he paid no attention to her she sat down in front of the door and barked until he did.

Joe had a bad feeling about this. He liked dogs but walking froofy little dogs was not something he generally did.

He finally caved after Joe Friday jumped up on the couch next to him and laid her head on his leg and stared up at him with big brown eyes. "Fine, I'll take you out, but I'm not calling you Joe, are we clear? You're just Friday from now on."

In the brief time that they were out walking, Jane came home from work to find a totally empty apartment. It was weird not to be greeted at the door by her dog but the realization of where she must be and who she was with was extremely charming. Joe really was spoiling her.

When she heard the door open and Joe walk in, leash and dog in hand, she was ready with a camera. Joe never saw it coming.

"I see you've made yourself a new friend" She teased, coming over to give him a tender kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, you didn't have to do that. I would have done it later."

"I'm not so sure about that, she's mighty bossy for such a little thing. She must get it from you." He unhooked her leash and let her run free. "Like mommy like doggie"

"Easy there, you still plan to go out tonight don't you?"

"Yes that was the idea."

Jane shot him a wicked little smirk. "Then be nice or you can kiss that little black dress you've been waiting for good-bye."

Joe pulled her in close "Can't I just kiss you instead? It would be so much more enjoyable." He leaned in and brushed his lips lightly across hers.

"Be a good boy and I promise I'll make it worth your while." She answered before separating them completely. "How much time do I have before I have to be ready for tonight?"

He checked the time on the microwave and did the math. "Well it's just after 4 now and we have reservations at 6:30 so you have about two hours. I hope you don't need any longer than that."

"I'm not even sure I would know what to do with myself for that long. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I have to embrace the stereotype. I'll need half an hour max."

"Well how would you like to help me arrange my stuff and empty boxes until then?"

Jane looked around and noticed the few boxes of stuff that Joe had brought from his place. "Sure, let me show you where there's some extra room."

Together they went through all his boxes and found new homes for all of his possessions in various places. If you hadn't known to look for them, the subtle changes to her living space would be virtually indefinable but it felt different to her, cozier.

They finished with time enough to spare for both of them to take a shower and change before dinner.

Joe was ready to go in a charcoal grey suit and tie when he heard Jane exit her room and turned his head to catch sight of her. He'd been having dreams about her in that black dress, the reality of it clarified all his previous memories and magnified them tenfold. She was unbelievably gorgeous in that dress. Joe was sure to let her know that.

"Wow. You sure do clean up nicely Jane, I wasn't lying last time I said you looked perfect. Are you sure I can't persuade you to skip dinner and just jump straight to dessert?" He got up from the couch and stalked closer to her.

Jane would not back down that easily. "Not if it means messing up your big plan. This is what you said you wanted, so I'm willing to go along with it so I can get what I want."

"Hmm…strong, beautiful and smart. I like that." He zeroed in on her and crept up behind her as she slipped on her shoes. He made sure to leave some distance between them as a precaution. When she righted herself and had both feet back on the ground now balanced on heels he made his move.

He slid up behind her and pulled her hair to the side to give him access to her neck. He lavished the newly revealed skin with kisses that drew a series of very distracting moans from her throat. After the final sweep of his lips across her flesh he withdrew something from his pocket and fastened it around her neck.

Jane hadn't been expecting that.

Jewelry didn't typically come with any first date she'd ever been on before but this was hardly any conventional relationship, of course Joe would do something over the top for her.

She looked down at the silver chain and the pendant that hung from it. It was in the vague shape of a police shield and held the picture of Archangel Michael holding a sword with the words "Saint Michael Protect Us" around the border.

She wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "Saint Michael?"

Joe smiled and turned her around in his arms to look in her eyes. "Patron Saint of law enforcement officers." He explained soothingly "All those years of Catholic school finally came in handy for something. Keep it with you for protection and maybe just a little bit of luck." He ran a finger down her cheek lovingly.

Jane was speechless. This wasn't something a person would buy on impulse; it took a certain amount of thought and concern to pick out something like this. A lump formed in her throat preventing her from giving any sort of coherent reply.

Joe saved her from her having to make such a response.

He picked the pendant up and kissed it then let it fall back against her chest. "Come on, I don't want to miss our reservations." He slid his hand into hers and led her out the door after he helped her into her coat. She was too dazed to put up much of a fight but she hadn't intended to anyway.

Dinner was at a quiet little upscale Italian restaurant downtown.

He had the steak, she had the salmon and they shared a bottle of Pinot Noir between the two of them. Between chatter of his life in Washington and any one of the 4 major Boston sports teams they both followed, he offered up bites of his steak to her and in turn she would break off of bits of salmon to share with him. It occurred to her that she was essentially in a scene from a cheesy romance movie but she was enjoying Joe's company too much to give it much more thought than that.

Jane was delighted to find that dessert was made up of a very large piece of tiramisu. He insisted on feeding her the first mouthful and after a few half hearted protests she gave in to his wishes. He was going to be her downfall; she could already see it happening.

After they had devoured dessert and Joe had paid the bill, he surprised her again by instead of taking them straight home like she had assumed he would, he pulled up outside of a jazz club a few blocks away and led her inside. The night was far from over for them.

Inside, the smooth tones of clarinets, trumpets, saxophones and a piano lulled her already relaxed senses even more. They secured a small section of a very comfortable couch along the back wall of the building and Joe ordered them both a drink from a passing waitress. She returned with two glasses of a rich Cabernet and then dissolved into the background again.

The dim lighting of the room combined with the wine were doing funny things to her head but when Joe pulled her up to lead her out on the dance floor she melted into his embrace and let him sway them to the dulcet rhythms of the live band without hesitation.

With her head resting on his shoulder, one hand in his and the other curled around his back also on his shoulder Jane had the sinking sensation that she might be feeling something for Joe she swore to herself she shouldn't be feeling quite yet.

The night hadn't been anything like she'd imagined. It wasn't really her style at all, she was the tomboy who drank beer right from the bottle and watched football with the guys, not the pretty one with the concerned boy friend who got dressed up and danced to jazz music. Her entire life she'd never even dreamed she'd want that sort of thing. Now that she had a glimpse of what it was actually like to be that woman she had to seriously revaluate a few of her previous misconceptions.

They lost track of the time out on the dance floor wrapped up in each other, sharing languid kisses totally uncaring of any audience they might attract. When Joe whispered in her ear as one nameless melody bled into another around them, she knew she needed to get him back to her apartment soon. "Would you mind if we moved this party to a more discrete location? I've been dying to get you out of that dress since the first time I saw you in it."

"I've been waiting for you to do just that since last night" Jane answered breathlessly.

He led her off the floor and back out into the chilly night. A few deep breathes of brisk air marginally cleared her swimming head as they walked back to her car. Joe was driving home so she didn't have to worry about being a little woozy but now she was getting extremely impatient for their arrival back at her apartment.

Joe opened the door for her and helped her in then gently shut it behind her and walked around to the driver's side to get in. On the drive back Joe used one hand to steer and the other to link hands with Jane. Their joined hands rested comfortably on the center console between them all the way home.

As soon as the apartment door swung closed behind them Joe let all his inhibitions go.

Before she even registered the closed door Jane was divested of her jacket and pushed up against it, her lips claimed by his in a searing kiss that lit a fire in her body. He abandoned her lips to trail slow and soft open mouthed kisses down to her collar bone. Her body was buzzing from the tension they'd built up over the night. At the rate they were going they could probably fuel a few small cities already.

Her body knew exactly what it wanted; right now it was desperately screaming to touch and be touched. She indulged herself by working the suit jacket from Joe's arms and throwing it somewhere over his shoulder. Her hands were clumsy as she fumbled with the buttons on his shirt until she was so fed up with the obstructions that she ended ripping the last 3 buttons from his shirt in her haste to get to his heated skin.

Joe wasn't idle as she stripped him of his clothes. His hands where everywhere he could reach trying to coax little gasps and pleasurable sighs from her body, gliding over subtle curves and silky soft skin. He drew one of her legs up over his hip to get closer to the delicious heat of her core. Its partner wound its way around his hips a moment later and drew a groan from his mouth when he pushed her farther up the door to meet his mouth with more hungry kisses. The new position pushed the hem of her dress up to her waist and let his hips settle snuggly between her thighs. She felt his growing arousal through the fabric of his pants and let out a strangled moan, she'd been waiting for this for way too long. With the last ounce of coherent thought she was capable of she whispered an order to Joe "Bedroom, now"

Joe didn't use words to answer; his brain was already focused on much more important things than speech. He melded their lips together again and hoisted her up from the door to spin them around and make the trek to her bedroom. It wasn't a far trip down the hall but he was forced to stop and they ended up back against a wall for a few seconds when a hand came down from around his neck where Jane had latched on, to grab his ass and squeeze. The sensation had made him falter and almost drop her but the added support of the wall pressed against her back let him regain his equilibrium enough to make it the few feet to her bedroom.

He lowered her onto the bed and let her scoot back farther up towards the headboard before zeroing in on her again. Her dress didn't stay on her for long, Joe made sure of that. He took great joy in locating the hidden zipper and peeling away the offending garment from her body. She hadn't been wearing a bra under the dress and the little pieces of black silk and lace that made up her panties had Joe groaning.

They came together again a jumble of heated skin and wandering hands. His body twitched under her seductive touch, muscles contracting and releasing as her hands trailed down his ribcage, her eyes following the movement. She was forced to bite her lip in ecstasy when retaliated and his thumbs circled her exposed nipples, rolled them into stiffened peaks. He ducked his head to let his mouth reach one breast and he took his time in tasting her, licking and sucking until she cried out and writhed beneath him, her body arching instinctively into his. Grinning against her flushed skin, he transferred his attention to the other breast, treating its twin to same the gentle torture, stopping only when her hands tangled in his hair and drew his head back up to hers for a hot, open-mouthed kiss.

Her mouth then moved down his neck as she undid the buckle on his belt and he finished the job, kicking his pants and boxers the rest of the way off and sliding his hands underneath the last scrap of clothing between them. A gasp fell from her lips, right near his shoulder as his fingers stroked the warm, damp flesh he found. Her hips rocked forward drawing a groan from both of them and Joe knew he couldn't take much more of this sweet torture. Hooking his thumbs in the waistband of her panties he trailed them down her legs and smiled when she kicked them off for him. He crawled up her body and paused just long enough to catch a glimpse of her, prone form pinned under his to her bed.

Previously he'd believed there was nothing more perfect in the world than Jane in her black dress; he now had to amend that statement to Jane out of that little black dress. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, hair fanned out against the white pillows, skin flushed and eyes shining; there were no words to describe the feelings he had right now, beautiful and even gorgeous were too gross an understatement for her but he couldn't seem to make his brain function enough to come up with anything better.

A soft whimper snapped him out of his appreciation of her body and back into the moment. Before he could let himself go any farther he had to make sure this is what Jane wanted "No going back after this Jane, are you sure you want this? You let me in tonight and I get to keep you."

Jane rocked her hips against his again impatiently; he was hot and hard and so very close to where she wanted him, however she knew he wouldn't move an inch until he gave her an answer. "Yes, I want this, I want you Joe, will you just please give me what I want?"

He positioned himself over her, just shy of entering her "Condom?"

"As long as you're clean you don't need one." Jane growled back at him, eager to get on with things.

"You sure?" he double checked, the last thing they needed right now was an unexpected pregnancy.

"Yes" she nodded her head for extra emphasis "I'm on the pill, will you please…"

As soon as the words "yes" and "pill" fell from her mouth Joe moved, cutting off any further conversation.

She let out a contented sigh when she finally felt him pressing into her, easing his way inside. It had been awhile for her so she had to adjust as her body tensed around the welcomed intrusion.

Any discomfort lasted for only a few seconds as his hips settled against hers, joined intimately for the first time. Jane welcomed his weight as he let himself come to rest fully against her, heavy in a comforting sensual way as his hands drifted down her arms, hands linking with hers and pinning them above her head. His warm breath fanned across her face, his eyes meeting hers in an intense stare and when their lips met again, he moved.

They started up a steady slow rhythm. The complete opposite of the way they'd been groping at each other when he'd had her pinned to the door just minutes ago. Stifling a moan against his shoulder, she nipped his skin and smiled at his answering groan of pleasure. Their hips kept up the steady movement, rocking, thrusting, keeping them linked in the most intimate of ways. He let go of her hands, letting them slide down his arms, across his back to let one come to a rest in his hair while his continued traveling over her sides, brushing against her breasts and taunting her with barely there caresses.

Jane felt the tension in her belly building like a coil being tightly wound. She knew what was coming and it startled her that it was coming so soon, it really had been too long since she'd had a man like this. The tightening worsened with each of Joe's thrusts. She waited for the inevitable, her breathing beginning to turn labored, her soft moans melting into desperate whimpers and morphing into a cry when his lips traveled down to circle around her nipple again.

"Joey" The sound of his name falling from her lips made it all the more real for him. Her hands clenched in his hair as his mouth peppered kisses and gentle sucks over her neck and chest.

He slid a hand between them, finding her clit and pressing down hard, loving the sound that fell from her lips when he did. He kissed her hungrily, their actions becoming more and more frantic, more urgent as the friction built. He felt her body quiver, felt her muscles begin to tighten around him and moved his thumb over her clit once more, and again, pushing up into her, their bodies slick with sweat.

She arched against him suddenly, her body tensing and the densely wound coil in her belly released with a pressure that rocked her to the core. Her body shook with wave after wave of ecstasy as it coursed through her, her moan of his name muffled by his lips. The feel of her body contracting around him brought on his own climax and he muffled his own low groan against her shoulder. When she fell back against the mattress in satisfaction, he collapsed on top of her exhausted from the intense release.

When Jane came back to her senses she found Joe still in the midst of his slow recovery. His ragged breathing was the only discernable sign of life, he wasn't moving otherwise and his extra weight made breathing harder for her but she didn't mind. She liked the weight, loved feeling his head resting on her shoulder and being able to lazily run her fingers through his hair.

Neither of them wanted to move any further or say anything in fear of ruining the moment but they knew even without words that everything between them had changed. Now emotionally and physically bonded there was no turning back for them.

Joe finally found the strength to react, lifting a hand to stroke her damp hair back from her face. He trailed his fingers over her cheek before cupping her face, holding her steady as he leaned in to kiss her sweetly. They exchanged sleepy, satisfied smiles before Joe pulled the blankets up to cover their rapidly cooling bodies and Jane curled up against is side. "Good night baby" he whispered in her ear before she drifted off to sleep. A brief unvoiced admission floated around in his head as he drifted off as well. Wanting to be spoken, merely waiting for Joe to find the courage to let it slip out, I love you.

---

Friday morning Jane woke up pleasantly sore in places she hadn't been sore in for far too long. Joe's breathing was still even and relaxed; he hadn't woken up when she had. She turned in his arms, resettling herself with her head resting on his chest to listen to his steady heartbeat under her ear, a leg thrown over his and a hand tracing random patterns on his skin as she recalled last night.

He'd been nothing like she expected, but then again, everything like she expected also. He was sweet; she suspected he would be considering how he usually was with her but the degree of it still surprised her. He wasn't overbearingly so, not in a way that made her want to bolt, and forget about this long distance relationship entirely. It wouldn't have taken much considering her past track record. She was flighty to say the least, when it came to emotions pertaining to men, especially ones that actually meant something to her. But Joe had been…perfect, or at least as close to perfection as a man could come.

His sweetness vied with something else, something that she would best label as assertiveness, not doubt the same part of him the political animal derived from. She'd been with men before; she wasn't a nun by far, being in a Catholic school for so long had pretty much guaranteed that at a young age. But being with Joe made her feel like maybe she had never really been with a man. He'd been daring, confident, aggressive in the best way possible. She wouldn't change a thing about last night, except for maybe doing it sooner.

Time held no relevance as she'd slipped more out of control by the second, but it didn't matter. That was the point. He made her forget everything else in the world outside of her room in her cozy little apartment. Maybe his jokes about time manipulation had some merit; he'd sure turned her world upside down.

The real crux of the matter though, was he made her feel like a woman. Not a homicide detective, or the tomboy she usually saw herself as, but a woman. He'd once promised her sex with him would be amazing and she had to admit he may have been on to something.

"I can hear you thinking" Joe startled her in a sleepy voice "what's going on up in that pretty head of yours?" He wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her forehead.

Jane hadn't realized he'd woken up, she'd been so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't noticed when his breaths had lost their easy rhythm and he'd cracked his eyes open.

"Nothing important" She returned his morning kiss.

Joe knew her better than that "Liar. Don't do this to me Jane, let me in here" he said tapping her forehead with a single finger.

Jane was reluctant to share her feelings; she'd warned him early on that she wasn't very good with relationships. "Just thinking about last night." She finally answered

A slow smug grin crept across his face "Oh yeah? So what was the verdict?"

"Jury's still out on it, we may have to have a retrial to be absolutely sure" Her playful teasing was emphasized by her wandering hands roaming his naked body. "But you can bet I'm gonna enjoy every second of jury duty.

"That so? I never knew doing my civic duty could be so fun."

She smacked his chest playfully "Are you trying to imply that I'm a civil duty?"

"Would I do that? Though I do think it's my duty as your boy friend to keep you satisfied. However I'm not sure I'm willing to share you with any other citizens so you can't be civil, sorry babe, you'll have to stay in the private sector." He punctuated his words with a tight hug and pulling her leg up higher around his body, a hand holding it firmly in place.

She was feeling frisky so she rubbed her leg against his groin and felt his appreciation for her movements growing.

Joe glanced at the clock by her bed, 7:45 am. "Don't start something you don't have time to finish" Joe warned her flipping her on her back and trailing kisses across her chest and down toward her belly.

"Not on call today, remember? I thought ahead, I'm not due back in the office till Monday. I have all the time in the world." Jane confirmed

Joe only paused in his movement down her belly for a moment to meet her eyes and smile "That's my girl, always thinking. In that case, let's celebrate."

She caught his eyes and saw the fire burning in them, just like that it was last night again and they were both ready for round two.

Round two brought about round three when they decided to be environmentally friendly and would save water by sharing a shower to freshen up.

It was nearly noon by the time they finally surrendered to their angry stomachs and decided something to eat was in order. Jane decided since he made breakfast yesterday it was her turn to cook for him.

As much as she was sure Joe would have enjoyed her cooking naked she decided it probably wasn't the best idea. She pulled on a pair of boy short panties from her dresser and opted to wear the shirt Joe had been wearing last night, despite the missing buttons, claiming it was more comfortable than her clothes. Joe had just laughed about it and called it easy access for later. She only had one of the remaining buttons done up anyway.

He sauntered out of her room looking all too sexy for his own good, hair damp and dressed only in a pair of blue plaid boxers.

He came up behind her while she stood at the stove cooking two pieces of French toast, wrapping his arms around her and dropping his head on her shoulder. "Smells good babe"

She smiled and leaned back into his embrace "It's my ma's secret recipe; I used to help make breakfast on Saturday mornings before the good cartoons were on."

"Let me guess, you liked Rainbow Brite and Frankie liked Transformers?"

"Well you're half right. Frankie did like Transformers. I liked My Little Ponies when I was really little but I was a big fan of She-Ra and G.I. Joe once I realized ponies weren't all the fun I thought they'd be."

Joe chuckled and dipped his head to nuzzle her ear. "Even then you were playing with the boys toys weren't you?"

"Well they were cooler, and we didn't always have a lot of extra money growing up so it worked out really well for us that Ma could buy us toys that we'd both play with." She flipped over the pieces of toast and sprinkled some brown sugar on the cooked side.

"These are almost done if you'll get some plates out for me."

Joe was reluctant to let go of her but he also wanted to be helpful. He grabbed two plates from the cabinet and passed them off to her then turned on a pot of coffee and poured two glasses of juice for them.

By the time he'd gotten everything out the first two pieces of French toast were done and she put one on each plate and handed him one. "I have powered sugar around here somewhere if you want it" she offered looking aimlessly through the shelves of her cabinets and pantry after putting two more pieces of toast in the hot frying pan. She eventually pulled out a bag of the white substance and left it on the counter for him. They waited until their second pieces of toast were done then settled down to eat.

Joe convinced her to let him feed her again so they spent the rest of the meal cutting off pieces and either drenching them in maple syrup or covering them in powered sugar and passing them between themselves. After Jane had accepted the last bite, Joe had wiped some excess powered sugar on her nose and left a noticeable white smudge. Jane retaliated by grabbing a small handful of the white stuff and throwing it at him. They both broke out into hearty laughter and soon enough it was a full blown food fight right in the middle of her kitchen.

After being ambushed by more powered sugar to the face Joe armed himself with the sprayer from the sink and took up a defensive position. When Jane got within firing distance he sprayed her with the hose and declared victory. Jane pouted but ultimately admitted defeat in the end after slipping on the resulting wet floor and landing ungracefully in a jumble on the floor.

Her kitchen was a mess and Joe Friday was probably going to get sick from all the powered sugar she was licking off the floor but Jane couldn't have been happier. She hadn't laughed so hard or had so much fun in years. Joe gave her a hand up and kissed her on the cheek.

"You realize you're gonna have to help clean this up right?" She informed him, glancing around at the mess her kitchen had become.

"Yeah I'll help, but we have to clean you up too. Looks like it's back to the shower for us." Joe quirked his lips up into a grin and wagged his eye brows at her. "Are you up for round four?"

"Not if you expect me to be able to walk tomorrow." She sassed back. "I don't know about you but I'm starting to feel the effects of our time together. Not all of them are equally enjoyable."

"But you had fun getting that sore didn't you?" Joe gave her a cocky smirk. "Cause I know I sure did"

"Not the point Joey, now grab the mop from the closet and wipe down the floor while I clean the counters and maybe tonight I'll reconsider that fourth round."

It was enough incentive for Joe so he happily located the Swifer mop in her closet and made quick work of the sugared floor. He helped her wipe down any of the surfaces she missed and then dragged her back into her room to change her sugar dusted shirt.

Since Joe hadn't had as much protection due to his lack of clothes he jumped into the shower for a quick rinse off. When he wandered back into Jane's room to grab some clean clothes he found her curled up on her bed with her dog taking a nap.

He was tempted to wake her up but she looked so comfortable he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead he nudged her gently until she moved over enough for him to slide in next to her.

An hour later they were both roused from their afternoon nap by a ringing phone. Going on pure reflex Jane drowsily rolled over to reach her phone but didn't realize she'd be landing right on top of her dog, she was startled by the loud protesting yelp coming from under her. The resulting scramble of limbs and bodies left Jane on the floor, Joe disoriented on the foot of the opposite side of the of the bed from where he started and Joe Friday fleeing the scene for the relative safety of her own dog bed in the other room.

Jane groaned from the floor and reached up to find her phone. She pushed the button to accept a call without even checking the screen. "Rizzoli"

The ringing didn't stop.

She looked at her phone extremely confused for a moment before it dawned on her what was going on.

"Damn it Joe, pick up your phone." She climbed back up on the bed to settle against the pillows.

Joe managed to locate his wayward phone two rings later, in a corner of her room next to his discarded pants from the night before. "Grant"

Jane watched perched on her bed as he suddenly stiffened.

"Hi Ma, no you weren't interrupting anything I just seemed to have misplaced my phone."

Jane had met Joe's mother once or twice before when they were children but she doubted that she would remember her if her name came up.

"Yeah I made it back just fine. I've been staying with a friend since I cleared out my apartment." It wasn't a lie; technically Jane was his friend, just one with a very specific title and privileges.

"No, not Darryl or Jared" Joe rolled his eyes at whatever his mother was saying and covered the mouth piece to fill her in "She wants to see me before I leave town on Sunday, do you mind if we have lunch with her tomorrow?"

Jane wasn't expecting to be invited along for the lunch date but if his mother was anything like hers then it would just be easier for everyone if she accepted now. Their mothers weren't close, so she figured there wouldn't be much danger of her mother finding out about them unexpectedly. If they had to tell one side she'd rather it be his mother than hers, there would be less awkwardness.

Jane nodded her head to let him know she was ok with it.

Joe listened to whatever his mother was gabbing on about for a few more minutes before relaying the message. "Yes mom, I can make time to see you tomorrow, are you free around lunch?" Jane heard more talking then "I have someone I want you to meet, so we will stop by tomorrow around noon then ok?"

There was a pause before Joe finally cut his mother off "No Ma! I did not get a random woman pregnant then run off and get eloped without telling you." Joe sat down at the foot of the bed in exasperation.

Jane snorted at that outburst and just barely kept herself from laughing loud enough to carry over the phone.

"Yes it's a woman, you'll meet her tomorrow. But Ma I have to go now, I have somewhere I have to be." A pause separated his words by mere seconds "Yes mom, I love you too, I'll see you tomorrow." With that he pressed the button to end the call and fell back on the bed with a long sigh.

Jane's laughter only got more intense. "Well that was interesting" she got out between laughs "It's nice to know I'm not the only one with mother issues."

"She's usually not so bad, but since I relocated I think she's just gone a little over board. Thinks that now that I don't live in the same city anymore that I'm going to go out and do something crazy like elope with the first girl I see and disappear into the sunset."

"Well I guess it will be a comfort to her to know that the girl you actually are bringing to her to meet has ties to the city and is an additional reason to keep her little boy coming back to Boston." Jane pointed out.

"I'll remember to bring that up, I'm sure she'll love you even more for that."

They spent the majority of the rest of the afternoon and evening hours lounging on her balcony enjoying the nice weather.

With the exception of a quick walk around the park for Joe Friday sometime in the evening they didn't actually accomplish much at all. It was probably the longest stretch of time Jane had ever spent not doing anything productive that hadn't threatened to drive her insane.

It was definitely the most relaxing day she'd had since she'd made detective. The best part was that she still had two more days until she had to be back at work and Joe would be there with her for almost all of that time.

Dinner was a joint effort, thrown together by what Joe had picked up at the store the day before and actually turned out rather well considering neither were following a recipe. The chicken and noodles concoction wasn't very pretty to look at but it tasted much better than it looked.

After cleaning up after themselves they got comfortable on the couch to watch a movie, this time from her collection of DVDs. She let Joe pick the movie while she made some popcorn. With a big bowl of freshly popped popcorn on the coffee table and a beer for each of them they settled in to watch The Usual Suspects.

Jane fell asleep about halfway through the movie head on Joe's shoulder, but she'd seen it so many times it didn't make any difference to her if she missed the end. Joe only made it about 30 minutes longer than Jane did before he nodded of as well.

Jane woke up sometime during the night with a crick in her neck from the awkward angle she'd been sleep in. Instead of trying to wake Joe up she pushed him over, swung both their legs up on the couch and pulled a throw blanket from the back of the couch over them. She promptly fell back asleep wedged in between Joe and the back of the sofa cushions. It wasn't perfect, but it didn't need to be, they had each other and for now that was enough to keep them happy.

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A/N: *ducks flying tomatoes* I'm SO SORRY it took me so long but work got busy and my life was suddenly sucked up by everything non Rizzoli and Isles, please don't hate me. I hope this chapter made at least a few of you loyal followers out there smile, majority ruled on the rating change and hopefully I managed to not mangle thier characters too bad in my haste to get you guys something to read. Let me know what you guys think and I'll be back soon with part 2. Thanks for reading!