Destiny Rules

Chapter 9

Pairing: Jane/Maura
Rating: M
Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me.


There were more dates. A few days after the first one, Jane put on a dress and surprised Maura with tickets to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Maura responded later that week with tickets to a Red Sox game, and they continued in that fashion. Maura went back to work full time. On days when neither was working a new case, they had dinner, sometimes out and sometimes at one of their homes.

It wasn't long before everyone knew about the change in their relationship. One evening after work Jane had gone to the Robber with Frost, Korsak, and Frankie. When Maura arrived later and slid into the booth next to Jane, Jane had without thinking put her arm around Maura's waist and kissed her on the cheek.

Maura had looked at her in surprise and after realizing what she had done, Jane turned bright red, but then looked at everyone else at the table and simply shrugged. There was some gentle teasing from Frankie and Frost but then everyone moved on. Somehow everyone else at BPD knew they were dating within a few days.

In addition to the dates, there was a lot of kissing. Kisses hello and goodnight. Extended make-out sessions on the couch after dinner. But it hadn't progressed much further than that. Occasionally their clothed bodies would fully press against each other, but hands remained on the outside of their clothing and generally in safe locations.

On this night they went out to dinner and then back to Jane's apartment. Soon Jane had maneuvered Maura onto her back on the couch and was hovering above her as they kissed. When Jane's hand slipped under Maura's shirt and her fingers brushed against Maura's skin, Maura gasped loudly.

"Sorry," Jane said sheepishly as she sat up.

Maura sat up too and said, "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to react like that, you just surprised me."

"I was wondering, do you have a scar? From the kidney surgery, I mean," Jane clarified.

"Yes." Maura raised the hem of her shirt and exposed the four inch long scar above her left hip.

Jane reached out slowly and brushed her fingers over it. "Not bad."

"Does it look terrible?" Maura asked.

Jane frowned at Maura's rare outward display of vanity. "Are you kidding? You've seen my scars. Do you think they look terrible?"

"No," Maura said firmly. "But your scars are badges of honor. Reminders of your bravery."

Jane shook her head. "I didn't get my scars from being brave. I got them from being stubborn and foolish." Jane held up her hands, palms facing Maura. "I got these because I was trying to prove myself and went about it in worst possible way. I followed up on a lead without telling anyone where I was going. I thought I could save someone all by myself and didn't want to wait for backup. It was the dumbest thing I've ever done. It wasn't brave. The only reason I'm even alive is because Korsak is such a good detective and went after me once he figured out what I was doing." Jane brushed her fingers over Maura's scar again. "This one represents how selfless and giving and really brave you are. That was far braver than anything I've ever done."

Maura had listened intently as Jane talked, but now it was her turn to frown at Jane's last sentence. "That's hardly true. But I appreciate you saying that."

There was a moment of awkward silence and then Jane cleared her throat and said, "So about the whole going slow thing? In terms of, um, physical stuff, what does that mean exactly? Because I don't know what you meant, or how to tell what is okay or not. I know you were talking about our relationship in general, but I assumed you meant all aspects of it. Did you say we should go slow for my benefit? Or because you want to go slow?"

"I'm not in any rush and I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you into anything before you're ready," Maura responded. "Also, I suppose I was thinking that I have had a lot longer than you to think about us being together and maybe you wouldn't be ready for anything physical yet. Or ever. I would understand if that was the case, but I do want you to be honest with me about it."

The last part was said in a nervous rush and Jane smiled reassuringly. "I don't feel any pressure from you. I appreciate you being concerned and maybe I'm not ready to do everything yet, but believe me, I do want you. You're beautiful and incredibly sexy. I've always noticed that but I guess I never let myself think about it too much before. I want you, Maura. And frankly, it's been a long time for me, so I kinda feel like a horny teenager right now. Actually, a horny teenager who doesn't know what she's doing."

"When you were with Casey-?" Maura started to ask.

Jane jumped in to answer, "We didn't do anything. He couldn't, um, you know, perform, and he didn't want to do anything else."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked about that."

Jane shrugged. "It's fine. It probably should have clued me in earlier that things wouldn't work out with him."

Maura surprised Jane by moving quickly into a position straddling Jane's lap and kissing Jane forcefully. "These are not terms I throw around lightly, but he's crazy and an idiot. You're gorgeous and I promise you that I want you in every possible way. I think you should decide how slow or fast we go. Whenever you are ready for more, I am too. You just have to tell me what you're comfortable with. In the meantime, you can feel free to touch me wherever you want to."

"Wherever I want?" Jane responded.

"Anywhere."

Jane slid both hands up under Maura's shirt as Maura leaned forward to kiss her again. As the kiss deepened, Jane's hands moved up to just below Maura's breasts.

Maura broke the kiss long enough to pull her shirt off. "Anywhere," she repeated before returning her lips to Jane's mouth.

Jane rubbed her thumbs over the satin material covering Maura's breasts. She felt Maura's nipples harden as her thumbs brushed over them and then she fully cupped Maura's breasts in her hands.

Maura leaned into Jane's touch and kissed across Jane's jaw. She put her mouth near Jane's ear and said softly, "It's been a while for me too."

"You didn't see anyone while you were in Paris?"

"The only thing I did in Paris was think about you."

Jane moved Maura onto her back on the couch. She pulled off her own t-shirt before laying down on top of Maura again, exhaling as their partially naked bodies pressed together.

Maura pulled Jane into another kiss while their hands explored the available bare skin. Jane's fingers danced across Maura's abdomen while Maura's hands roamed over Jane's back. Jane's leg was pressed firmly between Maura's legs, but when Maura's raised her thigh to press against Jane's center, Jane jerked her body up away from Maura's touch and broke their kiss.

She smiled sheepishly as she sat up again. "I guess we should stop there tonight."

"That's okay. I told you I'm not in any hurry," Maura repeated as she stood up and smoothed out her clothes.

"You could stay the night though," Jane suggested.

Maura bent down and captured Jane's lips in another kiss. When the kiss broke, Maura said, "I don't think I should. It would be difficult to not keep doing that." Maura straightened up and gathered her purse and jacket. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jane."

Maura left and Jane leaned her head back and exhaled loudly from her spot on the couch.


Jane knocked on the closed door and heard, "Come in," from the other side. She entered and Casey looked surprised to see her as he said, "Jane, hi. I wasn't expecting a visting from you."

"Why not? I told you I'd come see you again."

"I didn't think you actually would."

"How are you?" Jane asked.

"Really good." Casey was sitting on his bed and now he swung his legs over the side and slowly stood up. Jane started to move toward him to help, but Casey held up his hand to stop her. He stood up completely and took a few steps toward Jane, who noted only a slight limp, until he reached her and gave her a hug.

"Wow, you're doing great," Jane said.

Casey moved back to the bed and sat down. "I'm working really hard. I've got physical therapy four or five hours a day. I get tired after a few steps on my own though, so now I'm focusing a lot on building up my strength. How are you?"

"Things are going really well. Actually, I should probably thank you, but I don't really want to. I'm came to visit because I realized I had some things I needed to say to you before I could really move on. You treated me like crap. You disappeared and then showed up again whenever you felt like it. You shut me out in every way when I was trying to be here for you. I thought we had a future together and you let me think that. I blame myself mostly, but still, you knew anytime you showed up I'd be here waiting for you and you used that."

"It wasn't like that, Jane. With my injury, I couldn't...I couldn't be with you."

"Except that you could have. It wasn't your injury keeping us apart, it was you."

Casey looked confused. "Then what did you mean when you said you should thank me?"

"You helped me realize what I was missing and what I really wanted. And what it felt like to really be wanted be someone else. I wanted you to know that the next time you show up I'm not going to come crawling back to you again."

"You're with someone else now?" Casey asked.

Jane could tell that he was surprised and maybe a little upset. "Yes."

"Who is it? Is it that Agent Dean guy?"

Jane almost laughed out loud at the question. "No, it's not him."

"Is it someone I know?"

"It's Maura," Jane said simply.

"Oh. That's...huh. And she makes you happy?"

"Yes, she does. Look, Casey, I didn't come here to tell you that. I came because I want you to know that if you need a friend, I'm here. But that's all I can ever be and I thought that if you did ever really care for me at all, you deserved to hear it from me."

"I see," was all Casey said in response.

"Is that all you have to say?"

He shrugged. "I guess so. I'm not sure what else there is to say."

Jane responded with the only thing left she could think of to say, "Goodbye Casey."