Disclaimer: I don't own, I rent.
A/N:Thanks for the reviews, guys! Glad you didn't totally hate my sexy time. ;)
I really am trying to update more often, but seeing as this semester is my last (EVER!) it's been pretty crazy. I should be able to at least get updates out on Friday's for the most part, though. That's my goal anyway. :)
Chapter Seven
"Their Parting"
After their fun in the shower, the girls has moved to their bedroom so Jane could finish packing up her things. Maura sat at the top of the bed, sitting with her back against the headboard, as Jane moved around the room picking things up here and there. Maura was going on about what she had been doing at work in the past few weeks, but Jane could sense her mind wasn't truly focusing on it.
Finally, there was a small pause in Maura's story and Jane took the opportunity to catch her gaze, looking her square in the eye.
"What is it, Maur?"
"I...it's just..." Maura started hesitantly, "I know you're excited about this. And I'm happy for you, I really am, I'm glad you're getting a shot to prove yourself, but I have a really bad feeling about this."
"Since when do you listen to your gut?"
"Since my gut tells me you might be in danger, and I really don't want anything to happen to you, Jane."
Jane set down the shirt she'd been folding and moved around the bed. She sat next to Maura, one hand on either side of her hips, and leaned over so that they were face to face. She gave her girlfriend a small, loving kiss, then used the tip of her fingers to lift her chin so that Maura was looking her in the eye.
"Maura," Jane started, slowly, softly, "I'm scared too. You know I love you, right?"
Jane paused, waiting for Maura to acknowledge her question. Finally Maura gave a slight nod before practically whispering, "Of course I do, Jane."
"Then you have to trust me. You have to trust that I love you enough to come home to you; that I'll do whatever it takes to get back to you," Jane paused, brought her had to Maura's face and cupped her cheek lightly, running the pad of her thumb across to wipe the tear that had escaped her eye. "Can you do that?"
It was an honest question, one to which for the first time, Jane was unsure of the answer. She knew Maura loved her, she knew she loved Maura, but she'd had the sinking feeling lately that they were getting closer and closer to that place where just loving each other wasn't enough anymore.
Jane knew that this assignment would be hard on them, that they would have to fight like hell to make it out the other side without losing one another along the way. She knew she was in; there was no one in this world she wanted to love than the beautiful blonde who sat before her.
But this wasn't what Maura signed on for, and Jane was well aware of that fact. Of course Maura had been supportive when Jane had decided to become a cop, but being a cop's wife was never easy. There's a reason so many men Jane worked around were divorced, many of them having more than one failed marriage.
Jane didn't want her relationship with Maura to end this way, but she also wanted Maura to be happy, to have everything she wanted in life, and if that wasn't her, she knew she had to be strong enough to let her go.
The two sat in silence for another moment, Maura still making no move to answer Jane's question. Seconds ticked by and Jane got more and more nervous. What if she said no? What if she couldn't handle this? What if this was it for them?
"Maur?"
Maura closed the small gap between her lips and Jane's and reached her hands up to cup Jane's cheeks, holding her close. She pulled back, then left a few smaller kisses on her girlfriend's lips before finally leaning back to look Jane in the eye.
"I can do that," she whispered gave Jane a smile.
- R & I -
It was around 11:00 that morning when Jane and Maura were startled by a knocking at the door. They had just begun to make some lunch and Jane immediately hopped up from the bar stool where she had been watching Maura cook and moved toward the door.
"Are we expecting someone?" Maura asked, without turning from the stove where she had begun to boil some pasta.
Jane didn't answer, she was already opening the door and waving their guest inside. They both moved back to the kitchen and Maura finally turned when she heard them approaching.
"Maura, this is Riley," Jane said, hesitantly. She wondered briefly if she should have mentioned that Riley was coming before she arrived, but she figured it was too late now, no use worrying about it.
A quick look of shock passed across Maura's features, but it was gone almost as quickly as it appeared and was replaced with a polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Riley," Jane started, turning to her new partner, "this is my girlfriend, Maura."
Riley grinned at the blonde and stuck out her hand to meet Maura's. The doctor was hesitant, but shook her hand nonetheless. "So great to meet you, Maura, you're basically all Jane talks about, ya know. Nice to finally put a face to the name."
Maura blushed slightly and gave her girlfriend a small smile who leaned over to give her a quick peck on the cheek. "It's lovely to meet you too, Riley, will you be staying for lunch?"
"Only if it's not a problem," Riley replied, though it sounded more like a question than a statement.
"Oh, not at all, make yourself at home, I'm just going to finish the cooking."
Maura turned back to the stove and tended to her spaghetti sauce, the Rizzoli family recipe. She'd been trying for months to learn as many recipes from Angela as she could, but this was one she couldn't quite get right. She was sure Jane was getting tired of eating so much pasta, but she just couldn't quit until she finally figured out what it was missing.
Jane ushered Riley into the living room before excusing herself to go back to the kitchen. She immediately walked up behind her doctor and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist tightly, then pressed a kiss into her hair. Maura relaxed into her touch, not realizing how tense she'd been before.
"Thank you," Maura said softly.
Jane squeezed her tighter with her left arm, then moved her right up Maura's side before tucking a stray curl behind her ear and kissed her temple, "You're welcome, baby. I knew meeting her was important to you, so I made it happen."
Maura gave her a slight nod, appreciative of her actions and knowing this was Jane's way of saying she was sorry for overreacting the night before.
"Now you can get to know her a little," Jane continued, but then stopped when she heard Maura give a small laugh.
"Get to know her? I think you mean let her know what's coming to her if she let's anyone hurt a single hair on your head."
Jane couldn't help the grin forming on her face. It wasn't often that she got to witness it, but when she did, she relished every moment of Maura' s protective side. The idea of her sweet, loving girlfriend ever inflicting serious pain upon anyone was laughable at best, but knowing she would be willing to do it for her gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
- R & I -
An hour later, Riley had already left for their new apartment and Jane was moving her bags to the car, trying to fight the tear threatening to leak from her eye.
She was a cop, damnit, she was not going to cry right now.
Five days, only five days and she would be back with Maura. So she was going on the most dangerous operation of her career, there would probably be many in the future far more dangerous than this.
So she had to spend time away from Maura, longer than they'd ever been apart since Maura had moved back to Boston, this would be inevitable in the future as well.
She could do this.
So why did she feel like running upstairs, taking Maura into her arms and hiding away from the world in their bedroom for the rest of their lives?
"Jane?"
Maura's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she realized she had finished packing the car with her bags. She shut the trunk and moved toward her girlfriend, pulling her into a tight hug.
"You'll call me when you can?" Maura asked softly.
"The very second it's safe. I promise. And I'll be back on Tuesday. We can make it five days, right? We'll just take this a week a time."
Maura nodded and held Jane a little tighter, not ready to let go. Maura had no idea how long they stood there, she only knows Jane pulled away too soon, knowing she had to get to the other side of town and get to work.
"I love you," Jane whispered as she placed a kiss to Maura's lips. One kiss turned into two, two into three and before they knew it, they were lost in one another, willing the moment to last forever.
They were interrupted by a buzz from Jane's phone; a text from Riley asking if she was on her way. Jane knew she'd stalled too long and there was no way to make it last any longer. With one last kiss and an exchange of 'I love you,' Jane reluctantly climbed into the car, not wanting to leave.
Maura stood at the curb and watched as her girlfriend's car disappeared around the corner and tried once again to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest. She looked down at her phone, wishing she could just call her, but knowing she couldn't. She stared at it, willing it to ring, not even caring that she'd only seen her only six minutes before.
Tuesday seemed like years away and Maura was already counting down the seconds until she would see Jane again.
431,640 of them, to be exact.
Little did Maura know, she wouldn't hear from Jane for two weeks.
- R & I -
A/N: As always, reviews make me super happy, so take a second to let me know what you think. :)
