A/N: I know absolutely nothing about sport (unless Pilates is a sport?) and have no wish to learn! (Hey! I'm a girly girl, don't shoot me!) So if I've written anything that's wrong, I apologise and ask that you just humour me.


Chapter 7: I'm Not Crying on Sunday

Jane tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Maura's news has shaken her to the core. She had never really considered the possibility of Maura being with a woman, not really, sometimes in the depth of night she had allowed her mind to wander and imagine how her best friend would feel in her arms. Her silky skin sliding against her own, but she was certain these dreams were just that, dreams. Maura wasn't the type of woman that would do that, she was so feminine, girly even. There were plenty of lesbian women on the force, none of whom were like Maura; they were all like her, tomboyish. But then, there was no one at all like Maura, not one person in the world could compare to her.

Throughout the night she tortured herself with thoughts of Maura and Louise. Of Louise taking her place on Maura's sofa as they watched TV, of Louise kissing her, of them making love. In her mind she created an image of Louise; sophisticated, curvaceous and blonde, they were always blonde! In short, everything Jane was not and would never be able to compete with. Whenever Maura had dated in the past, Jane had been jealous but had known that Maura was completely straight which meant she had no chance at all. But Maura dating a woman was something else, something eminently more painful than simple jealously, it meant Maura just didn't want HER!

Around 5am, as the sun was beginning to rise Jane gave in and decided that the only thing to do to quiet her mind for a while was to run. Quickly dressing in baggy shorts and singlet, she headed out leaving Jo soundly asleep in her basket at the foot of her bed. As she left the apartment building the fresh early morning air assaulted her exposed skin and she shivered. For a moment she considered going back for a sweater before setting off at a gentle pace to warm up instead. She had been running for several minutes before she realised that her auto-pilot had taken her on its usual route and she had subconsciously begun running towards Beacon Hill and Maura's home. Changing her route, Jane headed towards Boston Common intent on running the Freedom Trail.

An hour and seven miles later Jane stopped at Boston Joe's for coffee feeling both invigorated and tired, she had attained her runners high and was experiencing what she called happy lungs. She was sure there was a proper name for the feeling but she didn't know what it was, Maura would though and she made a mental note to ask her about it. At the counter Jane was greeted by the server:

"Good morning Jane" She said enthusiastically despite the early hour.

"Morning Neda. How's you?" Jane replied. In spite of their difficult first meeting, Jane liked the girl and was pleased that Frost had started dating her; he deserved to find a nice girl and maybe she would be the one to make him settle down. He'd always been a bit of a player when it came to women.

"I'm good thanks. You're out early! Isn't Maura with you?" She asked surprised that the detective was alone; she'd never seen her in the coffee shop without the doctor. They were together so much in fact that she had presumed they were a couple and was surprised when Barry had told her that they weren't and that Jane was getting married. She really could have sworn they were together; she usually had such good instincts about these things.

"Yeah, couldn't sleep. I've not seen Maura this morning" Jane told her tersely, she was tired and in desperate need of a caffeine fix neither of which made her inclined to continue the small talk, especially where it involved Maura.

"That sucks! You want the usual?" Neda saw the pained look that flashed across Jane's face at the mention of Maura's name and the dark circles beneath her eyes that betrayed her nocturnal tears. Maybe she had been right about them after all?

"Yeah, thanks" Jane gave her a small, relieved smile. "No problem" She smiled back and turned to prepare Jane's drink.

With her coffee in hand Jane began to walk back to her apartment, forcing herself to concentrate on the motion of her feet. It didn't work. Thoughts of Maura kept pushing their way to the front of her mind; the way her smile lit up the room, the way she laughed. The sound of her laughter was music to Jane's ears; nothing could compete other than when it was she who had made her laugh. Finally succumbing to fantasy, Jane imagined the two of them sat side by side on the sofa drinking wine, the blanket covering their knees. Maura would scoot along and rest her head on her shoulder and she would turn and tenderly kiss the top of her head. Maura would look up at her and then slowly, gently their lips would meet in a deep loving kiss. Jane had never considered herself to be a romantic but that was exactly what her fantasy scenarios were, romantic. Sure, they were sexual too but even that was romantic, far removed from her real life sexual experiences which had always seemed emotionless, mechanical even, serving only to temporarily scratch an itch.

Back at the apartment, a physically and emotionally exhausted Jane collapsed onto her bed closely followed by an excitable and very much awake terrier who proceeded to lick and fuss Jane.

"Ok, Ok, Jo! I'm awake see!" The little dog frantically wagged its tail, bounced off the bed and ran to the door only to return seconds later to resume demanding her human's attention. Reluctantly, Jane dragged her heavy limbs off the bed:

"Cummon Jo, let's take you for your walk" Jane said grabbing her phone from her bedside table and heading out once more.


The next morning Maura woke to the sound of her cell-phone beeping, slowly she sat up and stretched before reaching for her phone. She typed in her unlock code and discovered she had three new messages; two from Louise and one from Jane. Instinctively, she opened the one from Jane first: hope u got home safe. I'll be over round 10. Cya then :) J. Maura cringed at the text, she wished Jane wouldn't use text talk and emoticons in her messages but she appreciated the sentiment, no one had ever worried about her safety as much as Jane did or had ever made her feel so safe and protected. She was pleased that Jane would arrive before Angela and the guys would, giving them some alone time to talk. Quickly she typed her reply: I did, thank you. I'll see you at 10am and then she cautiously opened the first of Louise's texts. I'm sorry, I was an ass. Let me make it up to you. It was time stamped 11.54pm and must have arrived, unnoticed as she was driving home from Jane's.

The second message had arrived around an hour later: Maura? Are you awake? Can I call you? Maura thought for a moment, she really did like Louise but her outburst was worrying. If she would go off like that so early in their relationship, how would she be if they became more serious? Getting out of bed and putting on her favourite silk pyjamas that she had neatly folded and placed on her chair before climbing into bed the night before, she went to make herself some espresso; sure the caffeine would help her to think more clearly. She had always prided herself on her independence and ability to keep an emotional distance from people; she'd been hurt and disappointed by people so many times growing up that she considered it the wisest course of action. That was until the Rizzoli's had taught her about family, friendship and love. Looking at the wall clock, she decided: talking to Louise wouldn't hurt, right!?

Louise answered the phone just as Maura was about to hang up.

"Hello" She said sleepily.

"Hi, it's me. Did I wake you?" Maura gently replied, recognising the not quite awake tone of her lover.

"Maura! Yeah, you did, but it's ok. It's good to hear from you. I wasn't sure if I would" Louise was genuinely surprised and happy to hear Maura's voice on the other end of the line, she had been so certain that she had screwed everything up. She would have totally understood if Maura had never spoken to her again.

"I'm sorry, I only got your messages this morning" Maura told her truthfully, omitting the fact that it had taken her over an hour to decided whether of not to reply to them.

"Oh…" Louise paused, desperately needing to make things right with Maura but uncertain what to say, or how it would be received. When there was no reply from Maura she took a deep breath and just blurted out everything she needed to say. "I really am sorry Maura. I totally overreacted. Of course it's your house and you can do whatever you want with it. It's just I didn't, don't understand. Who is she Maura? She's obviously more than just your friend's mom" Maura was expecting the questions, but still didn't feel able to discuss her very complicated family situation with Louise. How exactly does one convey to a new lover that you are the daughter of the biggest mob boss in Boston, who gave you to the Isles' to adopt after telling everyone you had died at birth? Or that your adoptive family materially gave you everything you could possibly want but never the attention and love you craved? Or that you had only found that attention, acceptance and love when you had become friends with Jane, the woman you were secretly in love with? Or that your biological mother rejected you when she found out you were still alive until she needed to ask you to donate a kidney to your sister? Maura just couldn't open that whole can of worms, not yet anyway, so she did the only thing she knew how to do. She told the truth:

"It's complicated and I will explain it to you, just not now. For now, can you please just accept that Angela means a lot to me? She may not be my mother, but she is like one to me, so her walking in on us was a big deal for me"

Louise was silent for a few seconds. She knew she had hurt Maura by not supporting her and reacting so badly to Angela's presence and that she'd have to work hard to make thing right again and so she acquiesced to Maura's request. "Ok, if that's what you want, I'll wait until you're ready and I'm really sorry, I should have been there, supporting you to tell her about us."

"Thank you." Maura was relieved that Louise had been so understanding and hadn't pushed her to answer.

"So we're ok?" Louise asked tentatively.

"Yes, I think we are" Maura told her, smiling to herself.

"Then can I buy you dinner later?" Louise asked hopefully.

"Umm, no. I have a family thing planned today" Maura told her, she didn't expect for anyone to leave much before 8pm and Jane would probably stay much later, maybe even overnight if she drank too much.

"Oh…" Louise sounded disappointed.

"But, I'm going to the Robber after work tomorrow with some friends, if you'd like to join us?" Maura told her, her body immediately reacting to the lie. She had no such plans, as yet, but she did want her friends to meet Louise.

"I'd love to." She replied accepting the invitation readily. If Maura wanted her to meet her friends, then she must be comfortable about being with her.

Hanging up the phone, Maura still had some qualms but was happy with how their conversation had gone and with arranging to meet up with Louise again. All she had to do now was to tell her friends what she had arranged and why! Jane wouldn't be an issue, she knew that and Frost would be fine with it too. But Frankie and Korsak she wasn't sure about, although Frankie was likely to follow Jane's lead as he did in so many things and Korsak was so paternal with them all that she couldn't really envisage him reacting badly.


"Dinner's ready" Angela called from the kitchen; eliciting a surge of movement from the living room as Jane, Frankie and Frost eagerly fought their way up from the couch and dashed to the dinner table. "You three are like big overgrown kids!" Angela admonished "and not one of you thought to turn off the TV!"

"Sorry Ma" Jane and Frankie replied in stereo.

"Ye, sorry Angela, I'll see to the TV." Frost told her, turning back to the living room.

"Thank you Barry" She said with a smile.

The three detectives took their seats at the table, enthusiastically bickering about the soccer game they had just been watching.

"That referee is blind!" Frankie proclaimed. "That was so a penalty, Ronaldo was tackled from behind!"

"You're the blind one little brother; that tackle clearly came from the side" Jane argued.

"How would you know? You were too busy checking out Ferdinand's ass" Frankie taunted his sister, thankful that he was sat beside Frost, away from Jane's left jab. Even in play, his sister packed a punch.

"Yeah, like you were checking out Ronaldo's" Frost teased, laughing at the way his words made Frankie squirm in his seat.

"That's enough!" Said Angela as she placed the huge lasagne on the table.

"That looks gorgeous Ma" Jane told her, her mouth already watering at the sight of the delicious food. She didn't care what anyone said, her mom made the best dinners in Boston. Not even Maura's fancy frou-frou chefs could compete.

"That looks gorgeous Ma" Frankie mimicked, continuing the playful goading.

"Thank you Janie. It always was your favourite." Angela replied, giving Frankie a reproachful glare as Maura and Korsak placed the rest of the food onto the table and sat down. Once they were all seated and the food shared, the meal progressed in the usual jovial manner; the love this mismatched 'family' had for each other clearly evident. Maura had always been the quietest one at the table, content to soak in the atmosphere but today she was even more so; a fact that didn't go unnoticed.

Once everyone had finished eating, Maura collected up the plate and taking them to the kitchen, began to load the dishwasher. She was closely followed by Frost.

"You ok Doc? You seem quiet today" Barry asked with concern as he passed her the dirty plates.

"Yes, thank you Barry, I'm fine. I've just got a few things on my mind." Maura replied. She knew she had to ask her friends to meet with her tomorrow, as she had told Louise they were but hadn't managed to find the right time to do it yet. She'd been alone with Jane and Angela for hours before the guys had arrived and could easily have said something to Jane then but they had been so busy cooking and trying to get Jane to agree a date for her engagement shower she just hadn't said anything.

"Anything I can help you with?" Frost asked her in earnest, he would willingly help her in any way he possibly could and he didn't like to see her being so introspective.

"No, I don't think there is." She told him automatically and then paused reconsidering her answer. He was giving her the perfect opening that she had been looking for all day and of all the guys he would be the most understanding, just as he was with his own mother and her partner. "Actually, there might be something." She placed the last plate into the dishwasher and stood up. The small height difference between them meaning she could look directly into his eyes as she spoke.

"What is it Maura? You know I will help you in any way I can." He said, seeing that she would need a little prompting to say what was on her mind. He knew that she had never been one for opening up to anyone.

"Well" she began hesitantly; she still wasn't used to having this conversation and wasn't sure if she would ever get used to it. "I have been seeing someone and I want to introduce you all to her. Would you like to come to the Robber after work tomorrow with us?" If Frost was surprised by Maura's declaration, he didn't show it. He merely nodded and smiled at her, a gesture that she appreciated.

"Sure Maura, I'd love to. I didn't know you'd been seeing anyone." He told her, he was surprised that he hadn't heard that she had been seeing anyone. Usually Jane would have mentioned it immediately, wanting to check the guy's rap sheet or to do a background check on him. Maybe Jane didn't feel as protective of Maura when she was dating a woman? Or maybe Maura had kept it secret even from Jane?

"It's only been a couple of weeks but….." She paused and leant back onto the counter, trying to gather her thoughts.

"You want our approval?" He asked astutely.

"Yes, I suppose I do" She hadn't realised until Frost had asked her that that was in fact what she wanted, to know that her friends approved of her choice and thought it a good one. She knew she could rely on them to be honest with her and to tell her if she was making a huge mistake.

"No worries Doc, I'll be there. Do the others know?"

"About Louise or about tomorrow?" She asked.

"Both." He clarified.

"Oh. Well Jane and Angela know about her but you're the first one I've asked about tomorrow. I'm going to do it now." He could tell that she was still feeling uncertain; in need of support and some prompting to do what she obviously wanted to do.

"Come on then, let's get this done" He said as he walked to the refrigerator to retrieve their dessert.

"Barry?" She said quietly to his back and he turned to look at her once again.

"Yeah"

"Thanks" She smiled.

Maura and Frost returned to the table, bringing with them a huge platter of Angela's famous cannolis that was attacked by Frankie before it had even hit the table.

"Francesco! Don't grab!" Angela chided him.

"Yeah Francesco, do as your Ma says" Jane teased and Frankie reluctantly drew his hand away from the scrumptious desserts. When they were all seated and happily eating once again Maura took advantage of the silence and began to speak:

"Erm… There's something I wanted to ask you all" She said and Frost nodded his encouragement. "I would very much like it if you would all meet with me at the Dirty Robber tomorrow evening after work." Her nerves making her language more formal that it needed to be to invite friends to dinner.

"Of course we will" Korsak told her confused "But why the formal invitation?"

Maura paused, and looked to Frost once more for support, which was freely given with a smile and an almost imperceptible nod. "I want to introduce you all to my umm girlfriend" She told them with a shy smile.

"Your girlfriend? As in girlfriend girlfriend? Or a friend that is a girl?" Frankie asked bewildered, his cannoli poised half way to his mouth. Sat on either side of her, the two Rizzoli women realised what she was doing and in unison reached out to take her hand. Maura's heart swelled with the love she felt for the two women and she smiled at them each in turn before turning back to Frankie.

"Girlfriend girlfriend I suppose" She told him, her voice barely audible.

"Oh…Erm…Right…Erm…OK…" Frankie stuttered, unable to think of what to say. He'd always suspected that the Doctor might be attracted to women; he'd seen how she would look at Jane sometimes but he had secretly hoped that maybe one day she'd look at him like that.

"Frankie, whatever it is you're trying to say will you please just spit it out" Jane told him harshly, the patented Rizzoli glare telling him that upsetting Maura in any way would mean his doom.

"What time do you want us there?" Korsak asked Maura simply, seemingly unfazed by knowledge.

"I told Louise 6.30. Is that alright?" Maura told them all as she continued watching Frankie, trying to gauge his feelings.

"We'll be there Maura" Frankie said, finally finding his voice.

"Right, now we have tomorrow's dinner arranged, can we please sort out a date for your engagement shower Jane? Angela asked in an attempt to give Maura a little breathing space and prevent her from being bombarded with questions. She knew that they would come, but Maura didn't need all of them to be asked at once as if it were some kind of interrogation from the four detectives.

"I've told you Ma, we can't do it 'til Casey's home" Jane snapped back. Her mother had been asking her for days to set a date for a party that she didn't even want to have. Why did getting engaged have to mean having a huge celebration?

"And when's that exactly?" Angela pushed. She didn't like didn't like his name. She didn't like the way he treat Jane; the way he'd pop up when it suited him, sweep Jane off her feet and then disappear again, leaving her hanging. The way he would let her down. The way he proposed and left. That was not what she wanted for her only daughter, she wanted her to be happy, settled, with someone who adored her and Casey was not that person. He just was not good enough.

"Two weeks Ma. He'll be home in two weeks and you can have your party then" Jane relented.