Fanngirrl 1987: At the speed the girls are moving, that's becoming more and more likely. It wasn't the way I planned it, but I wasn't planning for them to start talking marriage, either.
2FaceMyFate: We all know Maura is...quirky. Most jokes right over her head, and the things she does find funny often confuse everyone else. So, her lying in bed thinking about finding a ring for Jane, then noticing the giant hicky she gave her and cracking up laughing, doesn't seem that strange to me. Also, keep in mind, they're both on a bit of an endorphin high. Just about anything can be funny when you feel completely happy, loved, and satisfied.
The following week was painfully slow. Jane was going crazy without any new leads or breaks in the case. Maura was at a loss how to help. Jane was on edge and snapping at everyone. She tried not to take it out on Maura, but it still happened, a few times. She felt horrible, and apologized, after each time, and Maura easily forgave her, understanding the stress she was under.
Late Thursday afternoon, they got a a call. There was a new witness. A businessman had been heading out of town when he noticed a car parked at the murder scene. He hadn't thought anything about it, until he heard about the murder when he got back into town. They had a description of the car, and were able to track down the owner.
On Friday, they confronted him as he left for work. When he ran, they made the arrest and found the switchblade that'd been used in the murder in his pocket.
After nearly two weeks, they were finally able to close their case. Jane spent the rest of the day working on paperwork, before heading down to the morgue a little before five.
She collapsed onto the couch in Maura's office, huffing out a tired sigh. "Babe, are you done? I just want to go home and relax. This case sucked, and I want to forget all about it. I know I've been a bitch this week, and I want to make it up to you. We can grab some take out and veg out with a couple movies, then relax in warm bath before bed. Sound like a plan?"
Maura put away the file she was looking at and shut down her computer, before walking over to sit on Jane's lap, wrapping her arms around her neck. "That sounds almost perfect. I'll agree, if you agree to let me give you a massage after the bath. You've been tense, and I know it's causing neck and back pain."
Jane hummed happily, pulling Maura closer to nuzzle her neck. "Do you honestly think I would turn down a massage? You have magic fingers, no matter you use them for. Just don't be upset if your massage puts me to sleep."
They heard footsteps heading toward the office. Jane refused to let go when Maura tried to get up. Frost walked in to find Maura in Jane's lap with one of Jane's hands under the back of her shirt, and her face buried in Maura's hair.
He started to sputter and find somewhere else to look. "Um, sorry. I didn't mean. I didn't know. I mean, I came to see if Jane was here. I didn't expect to see. I'm just gonna go."
Maura's voice stopped him before he could leave the office. "Barry, it's ok. Did you need Jane for something?"
He turned, relieved to see that Maura had slipped off Jane's lap to sit beside her. "I just wanted to see if she wanted to go to the Robber to celebrate. It's no big deal, with you guys are busy. I didn't mean to walk in on anything.
Jane chuckled, squeezing Maura's knee, "Babe, I think you can buy him those tickets, now."
Maura sat up straighter, turning to Frost with an excited look, "Oh, that's right. Barry, would you prefer the theater, or a sporting event? There are several shows coming up that I think you might enjoy, but Jane said you would probably prefer a sporting event."
Frost just looked confused. "Tickets? What are you talking about? Why are you getting me tickets?"
Jane smiled, watching the excitement on Maura's face as she explained. "Well, you were instrumental in us starting our romantic relationship. Jane offered to kiss you, although I think she was joking. I felt that tickets to a social event would be a much better thank you gift."
Jane and Frost shared a slightly horrified look, and she raised both hands. "Don't look at me like that. I did NOT offer to kiss you. I said I could ALMOST kiss you for helping us get together. It was a joke. It's not my fault Maura's joke-detector is broken."
They both ignored the look Maura shot Jane.
Frost finally came all the way into the office, sitting in a chair to face the couple. "What do you mean I helped you guys get together? I don't remember doing anything."
The girls shared a look, and Maura nodded to give Jane permission to tell the story. "You remember that song you mentioned a few weeks ago? Well, I mentioned it to Maura, then forgot about it. A week later, she shows up at my place saying we should follow its advice. I had no idea what she was talking about, so she had to explain it to me. Long story short, we talked and came to the conclusion that there was no reason we WEREN'T together. We've been together since then. We decided not to hide it, but I wanted to see how long it would take people to notice. Frankie and Korsak beat you. Frankie figured it out after just a few days. Korsak's known for more than a week. I don't think Ma's noticed anything, yet."
He looked back and forth between them, "You mean you WEREN'T a couple? Are you sure?"
Maura settled into Jane's side before answering, "Yes, we're sure. I do believe that we would have noticed had our relationship had a sexual component at that point in time. We have been a romantic for almost two weeks, now. You really did play an instrumental part in us realizing our romantic feelings were shared. If you'd like, I can send you a list of events I think you might enjoy, for you to pick from. Or, if you already have one you would like to attend, you can let me know and I'll do my best to get you good tickets. We really do want to thank you, even if the assistance was unintentional."
Frost got up to hug them both, somewhat awkwardly, "Congratulations. I'm glad you guys finally realized what the rest of us have always known. You guys are perfect together. So, are you coming to the Robber? It looks like we have another thing to celebrate. First round's on me."
Jane stood up, pulling Maura up with her. "Well, Babe, looks like take out and movies will have to wait. I'm not turning down free beer with friends. We can still do the rest when we get home. That ok with you?"
Maura leaned up to kiss her, smiling, "Yes, that's ok with me. I think I'll enjoy spending time with our friends, with all of them knowing our new status. We haven't gone out for drinks in awhile."
Frost followed them out of the office, smiling when he saw Jane reach out to hold Maura's hand.
Frankie and Korsak laughed and couldn't resist rubbing it in when they found out that Frost had finally realized the girls were together. They picked on him even more when Jane told them the only reason he figured it out was because he walked in on them cuddling. He took it all good-naturedly, and then informed him that they were together because of something HE said.
The next few hours were spent laughing and talking. Jane and Maura enjoyed being able to be more open around the guys. While they weren't hiding their relationship, they both knew they were unconsciously reining in their words and actions to keep from making it too obvious.
A little after nine, Jane decided they'd stayed long enough. She was ready to enjoy a bath with Maura followed by her promised massage.
"Are you ready to go, Maura? I want to stop by my place on the way home to grab a couple things."
The guys exchanged looks, silently nominating Korsak to speak up.
"Jane, when did you start calling Maura's house, home?"
She thought about for a moment, "You know what? I really don't know. When DID that happen?"
Maura cocked her head to the side, and finally giving a little nod, "I think it started the morning after the first night we spent together at my place. I don't think I've heard you call your apartment home, since then. In fact, you haven't spent more than a few minutes at a time there, since then. Usually, we just stop there long enough for you grab whatever you needed."
Jane went over the past couple weeks in her head. "Huh. You're right. I hadn't even noticed. I feel like that should bother me, or at least surprise me, but it's doesn't. It just feels right for my home to be wherever you are. You're place is bigger, and nicer, so it only makes sense for us to be there."
They both blushed when cheering from across the bar reminded them they were still in public, with three very interested detectives sitting at the table with them.
Jane stood up, helping Maura with her jacket. "Ok, let's continue this conversation at home, alone. Guys, it was fun. Thanks for the beer. See you on Monday."
They were relaxing in the bathtub when Maura brought the subject up, again.
"You know, it really doesn't make sense for you to pay for an apartment that you never spend any time in. I don't want to move too quickly, but I really would love it if you made this your home, officially."
Jane leaned forward enough to see Maura's face. "Is that your way of asking me to move in with you, Dr. Isles?"
She turned to be able to see Jane more fully. "Yes, it is. I apologize if it's moving too quickly, but it just feels natural. I love having you here with me. I love knowing you consider this home. Most of your clothing and the things you use on a regular basis are already here. I can understand if you want to keep your apartment in the event you need space by yourself, but I really would like it if you lived with me. We can convert the guest room into a space where you can be alone."
Jane stopped her with a kiss. "I would love to live with you. There's no need to convert the guest room into anything, unless you want to. I've felt at home here since you bought the place. There really isn't much left at my place to move. If we donate the furniture and other stuff I won't need, the rest will probably fit in my car. Your furniture is better than mine, anyway. We can probably have everything boxed and ready for Goodwill to pick up in just a few hours. We'll just have to find a time where we aren't working. I want to just relax, this weekend."
Maura settled back against Jane's front, pulling her arms around to rest on her stomach. "You're free over the weekend, in a couple weeks. As long as you don't have an active case, we can take care of everything, then. We could ask the guys to help move the heavier items for donation, and have them back here for a house warming dinner. You do realize that you'll have to ask Angela for her key, right? That means explaining why you're moving in with me."
She felt Jane pull her closer as she kissed the side of her head. "Yeah, I know. I really don't want to hide this, anyway. I think it'll take something huge for her to notice a difference. Maybe she'll finally get it when I tell her we're moving in together. She'll probably never believe that we haven't been hiding our relationship for months. All that matters, is that I'm with you. I can ignore that she'll be telling everyone the wrong story of how we ended up together. Ready to get out? My fingers are starting to prune, and I'm looking forward to that massage."
A/N: Ok, I know it was kinda short, but hopefully you'll forgive me since I'm posting it at the same time as chapter 8.
So, I want some opinions. Should Angela figure it out on her own, or does Jane end up explaining it when she gets her key back? Does Tommy need to make an appearance? Who should end up proposing?
I'm still going back and forth on those, so maybe hearing some opinions will help cement things a little more.
