A New Path
By RandomGnome
Note: After a very long hiatus, I am back. This isn't my usual fair, but bless Hulu, it has S1 – S6 of Rizzoli and Isles and I finally got to watch all of them. After watching the whole thing, I decided that it could use with a little Rizzles and some re-writes of episodes. I hope you enjoy it. All mistakes in editing are mine alone (editing sucks!) The characters are not mine and I do not own anything but the story plot. Mostly.
Chapter Four: Baby Steps (Too Good to Be True)
Maura felt as though she were figuratively walking on air. She hadn't been this happy in a very long time. It had only been a week and a half, but already, it was the best relationship she had ever been in. It helped, of course, that it was Jane, someone that she knew almost better than she knew herself.
The first morning that she'd woken up in Jane's bed with Jane curled around her, arm wrapped securely about her waist, Maura had felt more loved than at any other time in her life. She was surprised that she'd slept so soundly given the previous day's emotional upheaval. Maybe it was just the warmth of Jane's body, the slow and steady rise and fall of her chest, Maura wasn't sure. What she was sure of was that she would do everything in her power to make this relationship work.
Since then it had been a week and a half of slow tentative touches and kisses that made her weak in the knees. They hadn't slept in the same bed together again, but that was okay, because Maura didn't want to press Jane for something she wasn't ready for, afraid that it would push her away. This was all new territory for both of them and it took some getting used to.
One thing that had unexpectedly delighted her, though, were the flowers. On the first day back to work after they had declared how they felt, she'd had a half-dozen roses delivered to her at the precinct. There were five yellow roses with red tipped petals and a single red rose. Maura didn't have to search Google to know what they meant. The yellow with the red tips stood for both friendship and falling in love. The single red meant LOVE. It was so beautiful that she'd nearly started crying. There had been a card attached to the bouquet that read: I know we agreed on slow, but I also can't let a day go by unremarked. I love you. See you later. XOXO Maura had kept that card and put it in a safe place even after the flowers had wilted.
It shouldn't have surprised her that Jane was so capable of small romantic gestures like that. It did, though. Surprised and delighted her. She'd done her best to reciprocate by researching and finding a decaffeinated coffee for Jane to drink in the morning. She'd had to wait almost a week for delivery, but it had been worth it the first morning that Jane had taken a sip and her dark eyes had lit from within.
"Oh this is amazing!" Jane exclaimed. "It tastes so good, it almost makes up for the lack of caffeine."
Maura grinned at her. "Actually, Jane, this is even better for you than caffeinated coffee. You see, it actually has a B-Vitamin complex in it that should help you with your fatigue *and* keep you healthy."
Jane rolled her eyes, but she was grinning and taking another drink. "Only you could possibly find me healthy coffee, Maur. Thank you." She'd looked around and then rewarded Mara with a very thorough, if hasty, kiss.
Today they were going to Jane's OB-Gyn appointment. Jane had told her that she'd made the appointment with someone that she'd never been to before and she was nervous about it. Maura was happy to go with her if it helped her to be more at ease. She knew that Jane was still very nervous about this pregnancy and about telling Casey about it. She hoped that this visit would go a little ways to helping with that.
Once at the doctor's office, they'd had to fill out new patient information. While the questions were quite routine, Jane seemed more and more offended by each one. It was pretty amusing, actually.
"How about depression?" Maura asked as she and Jane waited for the doctor. Jane wore a hospital gown and sat on the diagnoses bed.
"Only since you started asking me all these questions," she replied in her standard sarcastic way.
Logically, Maura replied, "Let me remind you that if you'd gone to your regular O.B., we wouldn't have to fill out New-Patient forms."
"Maura! My regular O.B. is two blocks from the house I grew up in. The staff knows people in my neighbourhood and people talk. I don't want Casey's mom to find out about this pregnancy before I have a chance to tell him about it myself." Jane argued. She looked sad and confused. Maura didn't blame her.
She put the clipboard with Jane's medical history papers on it down and asked her next question gently, fearing the answer. "Are you having second thoughts about not marrying Casey?"
Jane tilted her head and studied Maura for a moment before she answered. "No. No second thoughts." She reached out and took Maura's hands in hers. Maura hadn't realized how cold her hands were until they were enveloped in Jane's warm ones. "Maura, I loved Casey and I know that he loved me. But he made his choice and we both have to live with the consequences. It just kind of sucks to be him because I've moved on." She brought Maura's hands up to her face and kissed the backs of them.
Maura let out a breath that she hadn't realised she'd been holding as Jane lowered their joined hands and she was smiling. Maura smiled back.
"Are you afraid that he won't understand?" She asked.
"Yeah. I mean he knows you're my best friend. I'm not sure how to translate that to us dating. Or how I'm supposed to tell him that I'm keeping this baby and we're going to raise it without him. I don't want to hurt him." The detective confided in her.
"We?"
"Yeah, Maur, 'we'. Right?" Jane suddenly looked worriedly at the blonde.
"Of course, Jane. I told you, you're not alone." Maura assured her, giving her hands a squeeze. "If you don't want to hurt him, then you should just tell him. Speak from the heart. I'm sure he'll understand."
Jane gave her a little smile. "Yeah. Well, until I get it figured out, the only person I trust knowing about this pregnancy is you."
Maura looked away from Jane, feeling very self-conscious right then. Oh boy! She'd been able to keep from saying anything about her little chat with Angela a few weeks ago only because they'd been dealing with other things. Angela knew about Jane's pregnancy and Maura wasn't even sure how that had happened. She was also surprised that Angela had been able to keep it a secret for as long as she had.
"You and this complete stranger who will now be my O.B. Gyn."
"Uh, I -" Maura began.
"Otherwise I just want to keep it a secret." Jane finished.
There was a knock on the door and they both looked up. The doctor entered, smiling.
Maura turned to Jane and blurted, "Your mom knows you're pregnant." Jane's face fell and her eyes widened. Maura jumped to her feet. "I'll wait in the car," she said as she sped out of the room.
She didn't get far before she stopped and rolled her eyes at herself. She couldn't just wait in the car, she had promised Jane that she'd be there. With a sigh, she turned around and walked back to the exam room. Jane was still sitting where she'd left her and the doctor was going over the half-filled out New-Patient form. When she entered the room, Jane looked up and Maura could see the profound gratitude in her eyes. She smiled at both women and introduced herself.
"Hi. I'm sorry about earlier. My name is Doctor Maura Isles. I'm here as Jane's..." She trailed off, not sure exactly what she should say. Her what? Her friend? Girlfriend? They hadn't even put a name to what it was they'd been doing. Fooling around? Maura fervently hoped it wasn't simply that.
Jane squeezed her eyes shut for a moment then she opened them and held out her hand. Maura took it and Jane's grip was like a vice. She was scared and trying not to show it.
"It's very nice to meet you, Doctor Isles. I am Doctor Beverly Young. I was just looking over Jane's medical history."
"Oh! We haven't completed filling out the New-Patient form." Maura apologised.
"Not to worry. Jane assured me the rest of it is a big 'No'."
Maura rolled her eyes at her friend. She hated leaving anything incomplete, but she doubted Jane would let her finish now. She nodded at Doctor Young.
"Now, down to business. Jane, what brings you in today?"
Jane cleared her throat nervously and said, "I'm... Uh, I'm pregnant. At least that's what the test I took said."
"Congratulations. Are you here for a checkup?"
"Actually, I was kind of hoping for another test - just to make sure, you know?"
Doctor Young nodded. "That's certainly understandable. May I ask how long ago you took that test?"
Jane looked at Maura for help. "It was approximately three weeks ago." Maura offered and Jane nodded in agreement.
"Alright. How long since you last had unprotected intercourse - this will help us determine your due date, if you are indeed pregnant."
Jane looked offended at the question. "Look, doctor, I'm on the pill and the father wore protection. I'm not sure if that matters."
Doctor Young smiled at that admission. "Ah. A 'miracle baby' then. I see. In that case, I'm going to have you take two tests. We'll need to draw blood for one of them and it will take a few days to get back to you. The second test is much like the over the counter test, however it will be administered by a nurse. Is this okay with you?"
Jane nodded uncertainly. "Sure, I guess."
"Excellent. I'm going to send a nurse in to draw your blood and then administer the other test."
When she left, Jane turned to Maura and demanded, "*What the hell, Maura?*"
"Oh god, Jane, I'm so very sorry! I don't even know how, but she already knew."
They didn't get to continue, though, because the nurse came in for the blood draw. Jane glared at Maura the whole time. As soon as that was done, the nurse gave Jane a plastic cup in which to urinate for the second test. Jane grumbled, but followed the nurse to the bathroom. When she was done, she was told that the doctor would be in for the physical exam if the test was positive.
When they were left alone again, Jane was silent.
Maura stood by her once again. When Jane started to fidget with her hands, Maura stepped in. She took one hand in each of hers and held them tightly. Jane stared at her, a complex mixture of love and fear on her face. Maura met her eyes and gave her an encouraging smile. Jane tried to smile back, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"It's all going to be okay." Maura told her, trying to sound reassuring. "I'm here, Jane."
"Thank you, Maur. It means a lot that you're here." Jane whispered. Maura let go of the other woman's hands so that she could step forward and hug her. Jane buried her face in the blonde's neck and held on so tight it almost hurt.
They stayed that way until the doctor knocked on the door again.
Maura found Jane in the break room at B.P.D. with her personal laptop on the table in front of her. "The only trace evidence we found on Brooks' remains is a single long grey hair." She reported. Jane looked up from her computer screen on hearing that.
"Well, that obviously didn't come from the victim," she replied. Maura swore that she could see the synapses in the detective's head starting to fire as she thought about what that could mean. She loved the way that Jane thought, the way that she could reason out a solution to a problem. She was a brilliant detective.
"No, but if it came from the killer, that would make him a middle-aged male with long grey hair." Maura replied with some levity.
"Thanks for going out on a limb," Jane dead-panned her response, making Maura smile. She secretly loved Jane's sarcasm, too.
"Well, a llama seemed unlikely," she replied in good humour. To her surprise, she didn't even get a smile from the other woman. Instead, Jane turned her attention back to her computer and her expression changed to one of contained panic. Slightly alarmed, Maura sat down in the empty chair across from her.
"Is everything okay?" She asked.
"Yeah." Jane replied automatically, then, "No." She sighed heavily.
Maura tilted her head a little. "Want to talk about it?"
Jane looked like she wanted to say no, but Maura put her hand on the table, palm up, and waited. Jane saw what she had done and with a little smile lay her palm on top of her best friend's. They weren't holding hands, not really, so it wasn't a PDA as such. It did seem to be what Jane needed, though. She let out heartfelt sigh and said, "I'm so confused, Maura. I mean, I just got things with Casey settled - about our lives, and you know, our marriage."
"You did."
"Right, it's just that now that I'm pregnant with his child, everything is suddenly so much more complicated. I don't know the right way to tell him about it. Do I email him or - or call or Skype? And how will he react when I tell him that we intend on raising this child without him? Will he be mad? Will he be hurt? Is - Is he gonna fight me? Is he going to want to come back?" Jane looked so upset and confused and overwhelmed that Maura couldn't help but try to make her feel better.
"You know, it's overwhelming and I don't blame you at all for how you are feeling." She pressed her other hand to Jane's where it lay against her palm. "You don't have rush this. You can talk to him when you are ready." Her thumb rubbed a light circle on the back of Jane's hand, wishing that she could do more to help assuage Jane's fears.
Jane looked down at their hands on the table and then covered Maura's with her other hand. "Yeah," she agreed slowly, drawing out the word uncertainly. "Except that he contacted me. He wants to talk - tonight."
"Oh." Maura said shortly, sitting back in her chair. "Oh." She wasn't entirely sure what to say, so she just reiterated her previous point. "You don't have to tell him yes. You can wait, do this on your time, not his."
"I've been thinking about it and - and I think it might be best to just get it over with. You know, like pulling off a Band-Aid. The sooner I tell him, the less stress this will be."
Maura thought about that. The detective had a very good point. She also knew that until Jane spoke with Casey, she would continue to worry about it and the worry could put undue stress on the foetus. It was so like the seemingly fearless detective to take this as head-on as she did everything else.
"Okay, say you're right," she told her friend, "do you know what you're going to say?"
Jane frowned at her, her back stiffening, and made to remove her hands, but Maura stopped her. She leaned forward in the chair and clasped Jane's hands in hers. "I'm sorry. That didn't come out, right. What I mean to say is, is there anything that I can do to help you with this?"
That question caught her off guard. "I - I don't think so. Thanks for offering, though." She slumped in her seat again and stared back at the computer screen.
"Okay, but can I give you some advice, something that might help you direct the conversation the way that you would like it to go?" Maura knew that Jane liked to be in control of difficult discussions. This was quite possibly one of the hardest things she was going to have to do and it would make her feel better if she could lead the discussion the way she wanted to.
"Uh, sure." Jane looked skeptical - as she usually did when Maura suggested new things.
"Why don't you make a list of the really important things that you want to say to Casey, that way you stay on target with what you want to accomplish?"
Jane blinked a couple of times. "You know, Maura, that might actually work." She smiled for the first time since Maura had walked into the break room. "Thanks."
"My pleasure." Maura smiled back at her, giving her hands a squeeze.
"Hey, Maura?"
"Yes?"
"Could you maybe come over tonight?"
"After you talk to Casey? Sure, I can do that." Maura was a little taken aback by the suggestion, but it warmed her to the core knowing that Jane wanted her there.
"No. I mean, like, while I talk to Casey. You can stay, too... if you want."
Maura's eyes widened in shock. "Jane, I - isn't this something you want do in private?"
Jane nodded, but said, "Yeah, normally I would. But this kind of affects you, too, doesn't it? We're in this together, right?"
"Of course we are. And yes, I'll come stay with you tonight and I'll be there when you talk to Casey. Thank you, Jane."
"What for?"
"Everything. Do you want me to get dinner on my way? A burger and fries?"
"Yeah, Maur, that'd be perfect." Jane answered her. Then she leaned forward and whispered, "I'm really lucky, you know? Not everyone can say that person they're in love with knows them as well as you know me."
Pleasure suffused Maura and she felt a huge smile split her face. She leaned closer to Jane and whispered, "I love you, too, Jane."
Korsak had allowed her to go home early for some reason. Jane was pretty sure that he didn't know that she was pregnant - Vince was too good a partner to keep something like that from her. She didn't know why he had sent her home, but she was grateful for it. She went home and showered, first thing after sending Maura a text that she was leaving. Maura responded back right away and confirmed that she was coming over as soon as she was able, bringing dinner with her. Jane was filled with a gratitude toward the M.E. so powerful, that she would never be able to put it into words. She knew right then that she'd made the right choice.
Maura would never ask her change or give up being a cop because she understood just how much Jane loved her job. She would never ask Jane to move around the world, away from her family and friends, just to be with her. Maura was always there when she needed her the most and she was so, so lucky. She made up her mind to show the beautiful doctor just how special she was and just how much she loved her.
They were taking things very slow. After finally admitting how they felt, after those first few kisses, the most they had done was hold hands when they sat on the couch together and long good-night kisses that left Jane wanting more. She'd also been sent Maura flowers a couple of times. After the first bouquet of roses, she'd found a place that sold lilies and had a pretty plant sent to Maura's home. Maura had bought Jane healthy coffee. Jane had never felt so good about being with someone. She couldn't believe how lucky she had been that Maura had made the first move - without the blonde's bravery, Jane would never have known what this could feel like.
She sat down and tried to write down exactly what she wanted to talk to Casey about. It wasn't easy. She kept getting side-tracked by trying to imagine his reaction to each topic she chose. She ended up only getting a couple of important things down before Maura knocked on her door.
She got up and opened it to reveal the other woman and couldn't help but smile. Maura smiled back and bustled into the apartment. She set the dinner stuff on the counter, then took the overnight bag that she had into Jane's bedroom. She came out a few minutes later wearing grey yoga pants and a light green tank top that matched her eyes. God, she was so beautiful, without even trying!
Jane had busied herself taking food containers out and checking what was in each to-go box. Box one had a gorgeous burger and steak fries. The second box had a chicken salad with nuts and some kind of dried fruit in it on a bed of what looked like spinach and kale. Gross. The third and final box contained one of Jane's all-time favourite deserts - cannolis! Yum!
Jane was about to lift one of the delicious looking pastries from the box when Maura re-entered the kitchen.
"Jane Rizzoli, don't you dare!"
The brunette woman frowned hard at her. "Come on, Maura! Just one?"
"They're for dessert, Jane," Maura scolded her, shaking her head. Jane scoffed and stomped one foot.
"I'm not 10 years old, Maura. I'm an adult. If I want a cannoli, I can have a cannoli."
Maura couldn't hide her amusement at Jane's antics. "Tell that to your cupcake."
Jane rolled her eyes, but she closed the box with a huff and then folded her arms across her chest, glaring at Maura from under her lashes. Maura ignored her and put the pastry box in the refrigerator. Jane's eyes followed her every move.
When she turned around, she was still smiling. She came forward and set her hand on Jane's folded arms, tugging at them until the brunette relented. She dropped her arms, a half-smile playing at her lips. Maura took her hands and placed them on either of her hips, leaning in to the embrace and resting her cheek against Jane's shoulder. With a contented sigh, Jane wrapped her arms fully around the blonde's waist, pulling her close and laying her own cheek against the soft hair, inhaling her favourite scent. It helped to calm her a little. One of her hands slipped under the edge of Maura's tank top and lightly stroked the soft skin she found there. Maura shivered and looked up. Jane grinned briefly before she met Maura's mouth with her own, drinking in their softness and letting herself relax and enjoy what was being offered.
They wound down and Maura pulled back - much to Jane's disappointment. "Better?" Maura asked with a knowing look.
"Yeah. Can we maybe do that some more - later? I think I'm going to need it."
Jane was rewarded with a bright, dimpled smile and green eyes that flashed. "Oh, I think we probably could."
"Oh, good." Jane's phone buzzed and she picked up from where she'd had it sitting on the counter top. "Oookay. Here we go. It's almost time. Casey will be calling on Skype in about five minutes." Jane felt the dread she'd been courting since reading Casey's email came home to roost. Oh yes, she was most definitely going to need more of Maura when this was done.
Maura caught her hands before she could start to fidget with the scars as she did when she was nervous. The doctor squeezed them once and then led Jane from the kitchen to the living room where Jane's computer was set up on the coffee table.
"How do you want to do this, Jane?"
"Um... Okay, could you maybe sit at the other end of the couch, you know, outside of the camera area? I don't know if you want to hear the conversation, but maybe having you close will help?" Jane suggested. She felt her heart start to speed up and she was now unsure that this was a good time for this conversation. Maura saw and heard the hesitancy in her voice and body language.
"You don't have to tell him tonight, Jane." She said quietly.
Jane sighed and shook her head. "No. No, I need to do this. The sooner the better, I think." She was firmer.
Maura squeezed her hands again before letting them go. "I'm going watch some Netflix on my tablet, I'll have ear buds in. If you need me, just reach out and touch me, okay?"
Jane nodded. The conversation would be as private as that. "Maura?" She asked as she sat down in front of the computer. Maura fetched her tablet from Jane's bedroom and made herself comfortable at the opposite end of the sofa and looked over. "Thank you." She was rewarded with another dimpled smile as the blonde put in her ear buds.
A few minutes later, her computer began to ring. With a deep breath, she hit the answer button and Casey's image filled her screen.
He looked really good. He was in uniform - could see the collar of it and his shoulders. His eyes were the same as she remembered and he was smiling. She was surprised to find that it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would to see him again. Maybe it was because she knew that when this was over, she could turn to Maura and the blonde would be there in whatever way she needed.
"Casey. Hi." She smiled back at him.
"Jane. You look great." He replied.
"Thanks. So do you. Command agrees with you."
"I - I -" Casey started, but he couldn't finish. He frowned. "Jane, I'm so sorry. We're a little behind here in news from the U.S., but I heard about Frost."
"Oh. Oh. Thanks. It - It's been hard. I miss him."
"I understand," Casey told her, "I've lost people, too."
It shouldn't have surprised her, but it did. She hadn't really considered it. After a few moments to digest that, Jane asked with a hitch in her voice, "Does it ever go away? The pain?"
Casey thought about it, then he smiled gently and shook his head. "No. But it does get easier to bear. I promise you that, Jane."
She nodded and blinked back tears. He didn't need to see her cry, not with what she had to tell him. "Thanks, Casey."
"Jane, that wasn't the only reason I wanted to talk to you. I got the ring."
"Oh. Okay. I'm sorry, Casey. I couldn't keep it." Jane told him, honestly.
"I know. I do understand, Jane. I needed to see you at least one more time, though." He said with a sad expression.
"Casey." Jane sighed. She then took a deep breath. "There's something I need to tell you."
"Jane?"
Jane looked down at her hands. She wanted to reach for Maura, to take strength from the doctor. She didn't, though. Instead she stared into Casey's eyes - eyes that she'd so loved only a month ago and now only reminded her of what was no more. "I'm pregnant, Casey."
He sat back away from the camera, a dumbfounded expression on his face. He stared and shook his head. "I'm sorry? Did you say you're pregnant?"
"I am. I did."
His face suddenly creased and he was angry. "That was fast. Did I mean so little to you?"
Now it was Jane's turn to be angry. "Hey! That's uncalled for, Casey! You know me better than that!"
"Do I?" He asked dubiously. Then the impact of her words hit him and he looked like he'd been slapped. "Wait a minute... Jane are you saying..?"
"There hasn't been anyone in that sense except you, Casey. To answer your question, yes, the baby is yours."
He blinked in shock. "I - I - I..." He couldn't complete a thought.
"I'm sorry, Casey. I... Look, I'm keeping the baby, okay? And I don't - I don't expect anything from you."
"What?" He came back to himself and leaned forward again. "Jane, what are you saying?"
"Okay... Just listen, okay?" She glanced at the little bit of notes she managed earlier. "Casey, I love you, I do. But we made our decisions - you're a soldier and I'm a cop. Neither of us can stop being what we are. I've accepted that and you need to as well. I'm not alone in this. I have my family here, too - Ma and Frankie and - and Tommy. Vince. And Maura." She glanced involuntarily towards the other woman who seemed completely engrossed in whatever she was watching on Netflix. The sight gave her strength to continue. "I love you, but I don't need you here."
He digested her words and she saw his eyes blur a little. He blinked hard. "Oh." He ran a hand over his face. "I know you're right. I made my choice. This... It's not what I expected to hear. Are you sure?"
Jane nodded. She'd heard from the doctor this afternoon, confirming what they already knew. "I am. I'm sorry, Casey. This isn't how I thought things would be with us, either."
"I'm the one who should be sorry, Jane." He said. "I knew when I took this command what it would mean for us. I just never expected this."
"Neither did I." She admitted and dared a little smile. "I've been thinking a lot about this. You deserve to know my plans."
He put up a hand. "Wait. I'll agree with whatever you have planned, Jane. I don't have the privilege of anything else, not when I left you. Just... Do you think you might keep me in the loop? Tell me the sex when you find out and maybe send pictures? I'm glad that Maura is there - at least I know you'll be taken care of. Can I say hello?"
Surprised, Jane looked over at her friend again. "I... How did you know she was here?"
He laughed, though there was little humour in it. "Jane. She's your best friend, how could she not be there?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, okay, she's here." She reached over and wrapped a hand around the doctor's knee. Maura started and looked at her questioningly. Jane mimed taking her ear buds out and she complied.
"Casey wants to say hello." She said wryly.
Maura frowned. "You told him I was here?"
"No, he guessed. He's pretty smart, you know."
"Oh." She set the tablet on the coffee table and moved her head to within range of the laptop's camera. She smiled and gave a little wave. "Hi, Casey."
"Maura." He waved back. "I just wanted to thank you for taking care of Jane and the baby."
"It's my pleasure. I promise I'll do whatever I can to keep them both healthy. Even if it means saving Jane from her terrible eating habits."
Jane groaned and rolled her eyes again. "She took away my cupcakes, Casey!" She whined dramatically.
This made him laugh with genuine humour. "Poor thing." He intoned with absolutely no sympathy. Jane huffed indignantly. Casey then made a shooing motion. "Okay, Maura, you can go back to whatever it was you were doing. I need to speak with Jane."
Maura nodded and moved back to her original position. Jane looked over and mouthed "Thank you." She nodded and smiled, picking up her tablet and ear buds again. Once they were in, she gave Jane a go ahead gesture and the detective turned back to the soldier on her computer screen.
"You know, once upon a time, I had a fantasy of telling our children how I met and romanced you." He told her.
She flinched. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Please. Jane, I know you're going to be a really great mother. I know that the baby will grow up in a place filled with family. And I know you and Maura will be very happy together."
That caught Jane off guard. "Uh, what?"
"Come on, Jane, I'm not blind. And I'm not stupid. I've seen the way that you two look at each other." He chided her. "I sort of figured that you'd been lovers before... Well, before we were together."
It was Jane's turn to be speechless for a moment. "I - I - I... damn it." She looked over at Maura again and this time, the blonde looked back, raising an eyebrow. Jane gave her head a little shake and looked back at her computer. "We weren't. Not then. This... Well, it just started. After Frost... we had a talk and things sort turned out that way." She shrugged.
"Honestly, that makes me feel better." He told her. "And at least I know that if it's not me there, Maura will be."
"Really?"
"Yes. I know that she will take care of you and I know that she loves you. She has more honour than most people and she can't lie."
Jane agreed with all of what he said. "Thank you, Casey, for understanding. And yes, I will keep you in the loop. I don't want to cut you off entirely. I just don't expect anything from you. I do plan on telling the baby who his or her father is. I'd never be able to keep it from them. You deserve better, Casey."
He smiled. "Thank you. Jane, I couldn't have asked for a better mother to my child. Well, mothers."
Jane choked on a laugh. She and Maura hadn't even discussed that, yet. Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked them away. Relief made her a little dizzy. She had loved Casey and this was one of the reasons why. He was a good man. Whatever woman ended up with him was going to be lucky. Not at lucky as she was - Maura was the 'total package', after all.
"Thank you for talking to me, Jane. This has been an interesting evening." He told her, smiling. It was a real smile and it made his eyes look shiny. "I'm going to go and let you tell Maura what we talked about."
Jane gave him a smile back. "Bye, Casey."
"Good-bye, Jane." His image froze a moment, then winked off the screen.
Jane sat back with a heavy sigh of relief and shut the lid of her laptop. Maura took her earbuds out and looked at her curiously.
"Jane?"
"He... He's okay with it. I mean, I didn't leave him much choice, but he doesn't hate me. He, uh - He sort of told me that he's okay with us raising the baby."
That surprised Maura as much as it had her. "Oh. He... You told him about us?"
Jane shook her head, trying to get over it in her own head. "No. He knew, Maura. Well, he guessed, but he was right."
Maura chuckled. "Well, I always said he was a smart man. I was terribly jealous of him, of course, but I still recognise his intelligence."
Jane turned on the couch and looked at her with a smirk. She wiggled her way closer. "Jealous, were you?"
Maura rolled her eyes and opened her arms. Jane snuggled into her. A great weight felt like it had been lifted from her shoulders. Now, she could focus on what was important. She could put her energy into the baby and into this new thing with Maura.
Her stomach growled suddenly and loudly. Maura laughed. "Come on, Jane, let's eat. You can tell me all about it and then we can maybe finish what we started earlier?"
Jane sat up and nodded fervently. "Yes, please."
Maura watched Jane take a bite of her turkey burger and chew it thoughtfully. She smiled when she was done and made an 'mmmm' sound.
"Good?" She asked, with a grin.
"Yeah. I can hardly tell it's turkey and not beef." Maura couldn't tell if Jane was kidding or not. That happened with her sometimes, both because sarcasm was Jane's native tongue and sometimes it only bore a striking resemblance to English, and because Jane was rather picky when it came to her precious burgers.
"Seriously, Jane?" Maura asked, to clarify. She said it in a tone that implied Jane's answer might or might not hurt her feelings. It wouldn't, but it was the best way to get a straight answer out of her friend.
Jane gave her an exasperated look that gentled into something else. "Yes. I can't say I'd make it on a steady diet of turkey, but once in a while."
That made the blonde laugh and she turned to her own meal - relishing the first bite of her quinoa burger. They sat in silence for a few minutes, sparing a few laughing glances at each other. Finally, Jane had finished half of her burger and she sat back in her chair, wiping at her mouth with a napkin. She took a long drink of the fresh lemonade she'd ordered with her meal.
"Maura, would you go on a date with me?" She asked. "I mean like a real date - dinner a - and a show or maybe a movie. Your choice."
Surprised, and delighted, Maura swallowed her food, took a drink of seltzer water with lemon, and replied, "Yes! I'd like that, a lot, Jane."
The brunette grinned. "I promise I won't get us kicked out of anywhere. I'll keep my hands and feet to myself."
"Well, maybe not your hands," Maura replied, with an answering wicked grin.
Jane laughed aloud at that. Under the table, she uncrossed her long legs and slowly ran it up and down Maura's calf on the other side of their booth.
"Oh." Maura sat up a little straighter in her seat and raised both eyebrows at Jane. After she and Jane had left the yoga class - fleeing the wrath of a staff member who had caught Jane trying on someone else's shoes - they'd come to the Dirty Robber for dinner. Jane's treat. Since this was a place where cops regularly came, Maura was a little shocked at Jane's blatant display of affection. Jane just grinned and dropped her leg.
"It's nice to know I can have that effect on you," she said with a smirk.
Maura relaxed and rolled her eyes. She eyed Jane for a moment before shaking her head in amusement. Jane was being playful tonight. Her talk with Casey had gone so well the night before that she'd even told Vince that she was pregnant. Then she agreed to go to the foot strengthening yoga class with Maura that evening. She'd also admitted to Maura that she needed help with the baby. It was such an un-Jane thing to admit that Maura had been both amazed and touched. Pregnancy really suited Jane and it made her thoughtful. It also hadn't seemed to dull her reflexes when it came to pursuing suspects.
Maura had been aghast when she heard the tale of Jane following an armed and dangerous suspect into the woods. However, since Jane had come out on top in the shoot-out that followed, Maura had sworn that she wouldn't lecture too much. Instead, they had taken a private moment in Maura's bathroom, before going to the yoga class, and Jane had let Maura 'feel her up' and satisfy herself that Jane wasn't hurt. The M.E. had done a light exam and then hugged Jane to her, awash in relief. Jane promised her that she'd be more careful in the future.
It was enough.
"Okay," Jane said, still smirking in triumph, "how about you figure out where you want to go tomorrow after dinner. I've got dinner covered."
"Anything I want?" The blonde smirked back and flirted with the other woman.
"Well, something I can do. And could we maybe hold off on the opera until you've broken me in a little?"
"Broken you - ugh!" Maura scoffed and rolled her eyes again. That was starting to be a habit - the longer she knew Jane the more she rolled her eyes. She could even do sarcasm she felt the situation called for it. "Fine. I'll see what's playing in the theatre and let you know."
"Love you." Jane replied jauntily and picked up the second half of her burger.
Warmth suffused Maura at those two little words. To continue hearing that from Jane's lips, Maura would even sit through a movie that was all action and no plot - the kind Jane seemed to love.
When the two women finished dinner, they walked back to Maura's apartment where Jane had left her car parked when they'd walked to the Robber. To Maura's amusement, Jane reached out and took her hand, threading their fingers together. Maura couldn't stop smiling.
Once back at Maura's house, Jane stopped them on the porch. She turned to face Maura and then took her face in her hands, leaning in to kiss her. Maura melted, leaning in and kissing back with enthusiasm and wrapping her arms around Jane's skinny waist. She couldn't help but wonder what Jane would look like in her final phases of pregnancy. All she could manage was an image of 'Grumpy-Jane' and she had to hold back a giggle.
Then, Jane spun them and pushed her back against her front door and all thoughts left her mind. This was new. Jane had not kissed her like this before. The brunette removed her hands from Maura's face. She put them either side of Maura's shoulders on the door and leaned into her. Maura moaned into the kiss and wrapped one leg around Jane's calf on instinct.
The taller woman broke the kiss and began leaving a trail along Maura's jaw, to her ear lobe. Jane bit down lightly on the sensitive piece of skin and a flash of white hot desire shot through the M.E. She tilted her head to the side, inviting more and letting out a whimpering little moan as Jane took it, leaving a trail of fire where her lips touched. Maura balled her hands into fists on Jane's back. She gasped Jane's name before her lips were reclaimed. This kiss was softer than the first, infinitely tender.
When it ended, Jane stepped back, but didn't remove her hands from the door, and in the low light of her front porch, Maura could see that Jane's pupils were huge. Her dark eyes were even darker, and her breathing was deep and rapid. Maura's heart beat so hard, she would have sworn it could be heard by passersby. Not that there were any. She stared up at, desire beating in her veins and written on her face. She was sure that her face was flushed.
"Uh - Um - Th - Th - That... Wow."
"Yeah? Good. I've been dying to do that all damn day." Jane answered her, looking pleased. She took her hands away from the door and used one to gently caress Maura's cheek with her fingertips. "You are so sexy, do you know that?" She whispered.
"Jane," Maura said her name quietly and reached for her, but she stepped back, just out of reach.
"Ah, ah, ah," she shook a finger at the blonde, "We're taking this slow, remember?"
"You call that slow?" Maura demanded.
Jane smirked hard, then her face softened. "It's a taste. I meant when I said you deserve the best, Maura."
"When did you say that?" Maura swallowed hard and forced herself to regulate her breathing.
"Okay, maybe that was something that I just thought. It's true though. You're a really classy woman, Maura. You're smart, gorgeous, and I'm lucky as hell to have you. That's why I want to do this right. As long as we don't catch a case, let's go to dinner and a movie tomorrow, okay?"
The M.E. groaned, but nodded. "I'll get you back for this, Rizzoli, just see if I don't."
Jane laughed and started down the porch stairs backwards. "Oh, I hope you do, Doctor Isles."
Maura huffed out a little giggle. "Good night, Jane."
"Breakfast in the morning?" Jane asked?
"Sure."
"Sleep well, Maur."
With that, she turned and ambled towards her where her car was parked, a swagger in her step. Maura blew out her breath and unlocked the front door to her home. She need to take a very cold shower or sleep tonight was going to be next to impossible.