"Maura, I need to talk to Ma," Jane said, "If we plan to tell 'the world' tomorrow I owe her. Can we invite her over for dinner?"
Maura smiled, "Of course we can. What about your brother?" "Oh trust me, Ma has already filled him in by now," Jane replied laughing.
While Maura ordered food, Jane called her mother. "Hey Ma, we'd like to invite you over for dinner. Yeah, it'll just be take-out. Really, Ma? No, we are not still wearing bathrobes. Yes, you can come on over now." Jane hung up the phone. "I love her to death but sometimes…"
Angela arrived not too much later. "So is dinner a peace offering?" she asked, "You guys shocked me this morning you know!"
Jane gestured for her Ma to come sit with them. "Well, you've already figure out that Maura and I have…I mean are together," she said, "are you alright with that?"
"Janie, I always had an inkling that you and Maura were made for each other," Angela responded, "If you love her and she makes you happy, then that makes me happy too. Now both of you come and give me a hug." Jane and Maura complied happily.
"This doesn't mean I lose out on a wedding or grandbabies," she continued. Jane rolled her eyes. "Ma, we JUST got together. What, you think I've already proposed?" Maura stifled a giggle which earned her a stern look from her lover.
"I don't know from lesbian couples," Angela replied. Jane said nothing. "Actually, it's a documented fact that lesbians bring a U-Haul to their second dates," Maura stated helpfully. Now it was Jane's turn to stifle a giggle. "Maura, that's a JOKE," she said. "No, no, it's all over the internet as a factual statement," Maura insisted.
"And what does the internet say about babies?" Angela asked. Jane threw her hands in the air and stomped off to get a beer.
"Well, " Maura continued, "there are sperm banks with catalogues and you simply peruse the catalogue and choose a donor." "Really?" Angela replied, "I never knew it was that easy."
Before Maura could get down to specifics – and Jane knew she had likely researched this subject to the nth degree – she cut in on the conversation "OK, OK, weddings and babies are for a future discussion," she said firmly.
Angela said nothing but smiled to herself.
The food arrived and the three dug in to the Thai food Maura had ordered. As Jane has suspected her Ma had already let Frankie Jr know and he was "real happy" for them both.
With a belly full of food and a couple of beers, Jane could feel the sleep crawling behind her eyes. She yawned and watched as Maura followed suit. "I think you wore each other out," Angela said, "go to bed, I'll see myself out."
"Thanks Ma," Jane replied, "and thanks for being so amazing about Maura and I."
The next morning as the alarm went off shrilly Jane slapped at it ineffectively while groaning her displeasure. Maura hid under the covers and giggled quietly as Jane was forced to sit up to turn it off.
"Stop laughing, it's not funny," she grouched, "Oh God, does it have to be Monday? Couldn't we just stay in bed?"
Maura tilted her head as she considered this, "While would be infinitely more pleasurable to stay here we both have an insane workload and we're both professional enough not to leave our colleagues high and dry."
Jane groaned again. It was hard to argue against such indefatigable logic. "Do I even have work clothes here?" she asked easing out of bed and stretching. Maura watched appreciatively from her vantage point "Keep that up and even I might be swayed to take a sick day," she said, "and yes, you left clothes here after one sleepover so I had them laundered. They are hanging up in the closet." Jane headed to the bathroom, turning before she reached the door to say "I suppose a shared shower is out of the question this morning?" Maura nodded "We would definitely never get to work."
After a quick breakfast of coffee, leftover pancakes and a few heated kisses, Maura and Jane were in Maura's car headed to the BPD.
Maura watched Jane rub her hands nervously. There had been a great deal of discussion on whether to reveal their relationship at work - in the end they had decided to be honest and tell everyone. As Maura had pointed out it would have been near impossible to hide given police officers were trained to observe. She reached over and took one of Jane's hands in hers. "Jane, please don't worry," Jane smiled wanly. "You know the majority of those guys had me pegged as a dyke from the second I made detective. I'm going to have a hard time not handing anyone their balls today."
Normally Maura would have chastised Jane about her language but on this occasion she knew it was her way of dealing with the situation.
The two arrived and went to Jane's desk. Frost and Korsak were already there checking email and drinking coffee. Jane's nervousness returned and she reached for Maura's hand and linked their fingers. The gesture was not lost on her fellow detectives but neither said a word.
"Frost, Korsak, ummm, Maura and I have something to tell you," she began.
"What, that you finally made an honest woman out of Dr. Isles?" Korsak interrupted laughing. Jane made her "Really?" face and looked at Maura who simply shrugged. Before she knew what was happening, Korsak and Frost were hugging them both and offering congratulations. Jane smiled. "It won't be as easy as this with the rest of the guys," Korsak warned them.
"I trust you to make sure Jane doesn't 'hand anyone their balls' today Vince," Maura replied, "I have to get down to the morgue." With that she gave Jane a quick kiss and sashayed to the elevator. Jane watched her leave with a dazed but happy expression.
"Oooooh, you got it baaaad Rizzoli," Frost commented, quickly evading the friendly slap headed his way.
"Alright guys," Jane said, "as much as I hate to break up this pick on Jane-fest, we have a full caseload to work on."
The remainder of the work day was good and bad. Jane and Maura were both able to focus on work and have a quick lunch together. The bad was of course led by Detective Crow's small-mindedness calling Jane "a fucking bulldyke" and Maura "her bitch". It was all Korsak and Frost could do to stop Jane from retaliating with her fists, her brown Italian eyes flashing angrily at the insult.
After a stern reminder about workplace ethics and the threat of a formal reprimand from Cavanaugh, Crowe begrudgingly apologized.
When it was finally time to head home, Jane felt emotionally exhausted. "Let's get out of here," she said "I need to be alone with you and just breathe you in."
A quick stop for take-out provided dinner. Maura and Jane ate on the couch, immediately becoming wrapped up in each other once the meal was over. In direct comparison to the previous days frantic love-making this was a gentle and slow exploration of each other's body until Jane rose and led Maura to the master bedroom. As she looked down at Maura's face, Jane leaned in for a sweet kiss that left no doubt about her feelings. "With you is where I belong," she said quietly, "you are my heart Maura." "And you are mine Jane."
Later in the afterglow while Jane was lazily tracing circles on Maura's belly she said huskily "I don't care what the world has to throw at us. As long as I have you and your love I can handle anything." Maura smiled, already drifting off to sleep, secure in her love for Jane and their future together.
FIN
