Kate glanced up when the bell over the café's door rang again, and this time it was finally Jane who walked in. She was smiling from ear to ear, apologizing for her tardiness and giving Kate's cheek a swift kiss. A hostess led them to a table in the far corner of the café, and once a waiter had been by for their drink orders, Kate smiled and remarked, "You seem chipper this afternoon, Jane. Break in the case?"

"Oh, it's better than that," Jane said, closing her menu and looking over at Kate. "I… something big happened, Kate."

"What?"

"I just, um…I just came out to my mom."

Although it was clear by Jane's tone that she'd been about to share good news, Kate still hadn't been expecting something of that magnitude. She laughed and leaned back a little in her seat, admiring Jane as the detective smilingly tried to scan the menu. "Jane! That's—wonderful! That's so great. Judging by your reaction, I'm assuming she took it well?"

"Y'know, she took it all right," Jane said, nodding. "All things considered, I mean. I kinda think she's been half-expecting it."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well…" Jane took the time to stall when their waiter returned with their drinks. She figured it wouldn't be a good idea to say her mother had assumed she was dating someone else, especially someone Kate had also assumed Jane had a history with. Picking up her menu again once the waiter left, she said, "I was never really a girly girl, y'know? So I think Ma probably thought about it."

"And then there's me. I know I work in what's considered a masculine profession, but I've always been pretty girly. I love getting all dressed up, I love clothes, I love spa weekends."

"Ugh, spas," Jane groaned. "Tell me the appeal of sitting in a bath full of mud. I don't get it."

"You don't get the notion of being pampered?"

"My idea of pampering myself is getting a greasy slice of pizza, a cold bottle of beer, and watching the game with my friends."

"Mmm…baseball?"

"Yup."

"Red Sox fan, I take it."

"Of course." She glanced up from the menu to see Kate looking down, fighting a guilty-looking smile. "Oh, no. No, no. Don't tell me you're a Yankees fan." When Kate only laughed, Jane pretended to groan. "Kate! No. Leave this table right now!"

"Aww, Jane, that isn't very good sportsmanship."

"Hey, I'm just trying to be honest about what I'm looking for in a woman. She needs to have good standards and good taste. That means not groveling to the Yankees."

"That's such a narrow point of reference, though. Couldn't you say a woman has good taste based on the fact that she's on a date with you?"

"I dunno; it could just mean she's desperate," Jane teased.

Somehow they made it through lunch without Jane turning the question back around on Kate, to find out what—even jokingly—she might be looking for in a relationship. That wasn't to last, however, as all too soon, Jane was driving Kate (who'd walked to the café) back to her hotel to avoid getting caught a sudden rain. At the hotel, Jane pulled into a secluded area of the parking lot. As the speed of the storm picked up, raindrops sounding almost like bullets on the windshield, people rushed past their car with bags or newspapers held over their heads for cover.

"Uh…Kate?" Jane asked, her voice serious. "I kinda wanna ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Um… so, I get the feeling once my mother really settles with the whole notion of my being, uh, into women, she's gonna find a way to nose into my dating life. I haven't really told her much about anything or um, anyone yet, or even that I've actually been with women already. So I don't want you to feel pressured or, on the other hand, like—insulted if I don't, y'know, introduce you right away as… well, that's the thing." She waved her hand between them for emphasis, taking a deep breath. "I guess I just wanted to know—for myself, not my mother—where you see this going. Or not even that, because I know we've only been on a few dates, but um… like… where you're standing with all this."

Kate took a shaky breath. "Oh."

Jane spoke quickly: "And I only ask because you mentioned you'd never made out with a woman before, but um, you also said you weren't just looking for an experiment, so…?" She waited for Kate to pick it up, but when she remained silent, hurriedly added, "I don't need you to take a vow or anything. It'd just, I think, make this kinda easier for me if I knew what it was you were looking for. I can be very accommodating to most situations."

"Most?"

"Yeah."

Kate's fingers trailed along Jane's arm, and she finally returned her gaze. "Can you come up for a minute, or do you need to be someplace?"

Less than five minutes later, they were inside Kate's hotel room, where she went on to perch herself on the edge of the bed. Jane stood by the TV, leaning against the cabinet, waiting for Kate to dictate how she wanted this to go. But when it seemed that Kate still wasn't entirely ready, Jane asked, "Are you like me? I mean… was it just something you repressed for a long time?"

"You've never been interested in men?" Kate asked.

"No, not like I should. 'Should,' Jane added, lazily using air quotes with one hand. "I tried to make stuff work, but not—I mean, even really recently, when I started going to the Merch, I never thought I'd have the courage to really do what I wanted. Do what I've done with you," she explained, gesturing towards Kate. "Pick you up. Take you to dinner. Have a date out in the open. I fancy myself this independent badass, but I've always tried to fit in in a way that wouldn't sh-shame my family, you know? So with me and guys, it was like square pegs in round holes. Just couldn't work. And uh, not even trying…" She chuckled wearily, knowing it wasn't a very pleasant euphemism, "Was any fun."

"I'm sorry," Kate said.

"So…" Jane finally gave into temptation (somewhat), walking over to sit next to Kate on the bed. "Why'd you go to the Merch that night?"

"I decided that it was an avenue I wanted to explore," Kate lied smoothly. "I mean, you understand the whole Catholic, forbidden-pleasures thing, right? I just sort of wondered if maybe I was going through life with one hand tied behind my back because my dating pool was so limited. And to be honest, Jane, you've been an absolute dream."

Jane smiled. "A dream! Well. Haven't heard that one before."

"Yes. You're bright, you're funny, you're considerate, you're dedicated to your job and your friends…" She reached over and tucked away a long strand of hair from falling in Jane's face. "And you are super hot."

At some point Jane had intended to ask how long Kate planned on being in Boston, but Kate had decided to round out her list of compliments by leaning forward and giving Jane a soft kiss. Jane responded at once, putting her arms around Kate's waist and turning their positions slightly so that Kate's back hovered only inches off of the bed, as if being held in a dip. Continuing to kiss her, Jane guided Kate to lie all the way down, and she did not resist, resting her hands on Jane's hips to pull her closer.

"Tell me what you want," Jane whispered, her voice raspy and low directly into Kate's ear.

"I d—ahh," Kate breathed, struggling to maintain focus as Jane kissed a spot behind her ear. Blindly she hiked up her skirt and shifted so that one of Jane' legs was nestled between her own. Thrusting against it, she reached up to cradle Jane's face and whisper, "Just don't stop kissing me."

Jane complied, teasing Kate's mouth open with her tongue and almost collapsing onto her with the thrill of that contact. Kate's hand wandered down to massage one of Jane's biceps, marveling at how hard and muscular her arm felt. There was something so sexy about this particularly unfeminine quality, pairing it with Jane's sweetness and gentleness that just made Kate all the more desperate to keep her close. Her hand returned upwards, fingers twisting in Jane's dark curls. And the sounds Jane was making in that deep, husky voice of hers—Lord, that's perfect.

Kate managed to roll over so that Jane was the one on her back, and she moved to kiss the detective's neck. Jane wasn't sure she breathed for the next minute or so. This move had really taken her aback: she was accustomed to being the aggressive one in the bedroom, dictating the action. She was never hurtful or domineering; she just liked being in control. It made her feel safe. But being like this made her feel wanted in a whole different, delicious way. She almost laughed when she felt Kate un-tucking the hem of her shirt, stroking the bare skin of her abs. Now that Kate had seen them, it was difficult not to want to look at and feel them constantly.

It seemed Kate Todd was one of those beautiful contradictions: soft and feminine in her appearance, but aggressive in a very appealing, un-ladylike manner in private.

This was faster than Jane was expecting, but if Kate was ready to go there, she wasn't about to complain. And to Kate's shock, she might have let herself—had this not, at the end of the day, been about work. A job to do. Whether or not Kate could miraculously make it out of all this without having to tell Jane the ugly truth, sex was only going to complicate things.

This only hit home for her when she felt Jane's hand resting above her hip, under her shirt. Just that small touch on her bare skin felt explosive, bursting with promise, and Kate couldn't bring herself to cave. Having this be strictly about business had fallen to the wayside some time ago, but that didn't mean it was time to bring all the pleasure into the mix without first thinking of the consequences.

Jane noticed Kate's movements had become less frenzied, that they were slowing and becoming a little more purposeful. With one last, long kiss, Kate pulled away, trying not to appear too sorrowful as she looked down. Jane blinked hard and opened her eyes, feeling a little disoriented.

"Whoa," she whispered.

"Yeah," Kate chuckled back. "See what you've done to the goody-goody?"

"Goody-goody my butt," Jane snickered. "I saw that picture you advertised on your profile. Wet t-shirt contest winner?"

"Oh, geez," Kate laughed, rolling her eyes and sitting up. "One of my friends put that on there without my permission."

"Still happened, though," Jane said with a smirk, also sitting up. She bit her lip, placing her hand on Kate's waist. "You okay?"

"Once I get the oxygen back to my lungs, I should be," Kate answered, nodding. "Jane, I just don't want to, uh, go too fast, here."

"I understand," Jane said, and she did. "I can wait, don't worry." She smirked again, offering Kate a chaste kiss. "Good thing you're so boss at making out, though."

Kate went on to school her for another minute or so before Jane's phone went off, not-so-tenderly disturbing the moment. She felt inclined to ignore it, but in her line of work, doing so could lead to a potentially fatal mistake, which Kate understood.

It was a text from Maura: Get over here RIGHT NOW. That was disconcerting as Maura never used all-capital letters in her texts, believing it to be unnecessary embellishment used by people who were not intelligent enough to put together a more articulate summation of their message.

"Something wrong?" Kate asked, noting the concern in Jane's expression.

"Uh…no, I don't think so," Jane said, closing her phone. "That was Maura. I can't remember if I told you this or not, but she's been letting my Ma stay in her guest house. Or… wow, actually I guess it's been over a year now. My parents got divorced and Ma couldn't afford to keep the house, so Maura gave her a place to stay."

"Wow, that's very generous."

"Yeah… anyway…" Another text: You know I love your mother but conversations are happening which I believe you should be present for. Oh, boy. "Every Sunday, Ma likes to have a little dinner party at Maura's house with me and my brothers, and a few friends. And it looks like I need to be there as a buffer during preparation, or something? I dunno. Anyway, uh…" It occurred to her that it might be rude to have mentioned this and then not invite Kate. "I don't suppose you'd want to, um…?"

Understanding the hesitancy in Jane's tone, Kate replied, "I don't quite think I'm up for that stage, yet. I've never been very good at meeting parents, and this is all sort of extra—"

"Sensitive, yeah," Jane said, privately relieved. Maybe someday it'd be nice for Kate and her mother to meet, but for now, Jane didn't want to subject her to what would likely be a tactless line of very personal questions. That sort of came with the territory of Angela, and Jane didn't think it should be sprung on someone who'd never even met the woman before.

Jane left a few minutes later with a promise to call after dinner. Kate had hardly been alone for sixty seconds when a harried knock sounded on her door. Looking through the peephole, she sighed in disappointment to see Tony and McGee standing outside.

"What?" she hissed, opening the door.

"Well that wasn't very friendly for somebody who just got lucky!" Tony said, strolling inside after he'd picked up the 'do not disturb' tag Kate had hung on her doorknob.

"Nothing happened, Tony."

"No?"

"Nothing that's your business, anyway. What do you want?"

"Some intel on one Jane Clementine Rizzoli."

Kate wrinkled her nose. "Clementine?"

"Yeah. Her brother told me."

"That's unfortunate."

"Agreed. Anyway, Probie and I scored an invite with the boss to Sunday dinner at Dr. Maura Isles' house, and word has it that your darling Clementine will be present. Sadly, you will not be. We want to be briefed in full about everything you've unearthed about her."

"I'll talk to Gibbs. I'm not going to indulge you in your fantasies, Tony."

"Oh-ho! Don't flatter yourself, Kate. Your reality couldn't possibly come close to touching how freaky my fantasies are. Even the ones that may or may not involve women who look exactly like you."

Kate's response to this was to elbow Tony hard in the gut. As he doubled over, she turned to McGee expectantly. He raised his hands in defeat, saying, "I didn't come in here to harass you. I came to see you take the tar out of your pervy partner, here. You should've seen that one coming, Tony."

"Yes," Kate agreed. "You should have."

Tony's foresight or lack thereof was matched only by Jane's, who felt blindsided when she knocked on Maura's door and was yanked inside seconds later. A tic was going in Maura's temple and it looked as though she was only just starting to overcome a rash on her neck. "Maura…?"

"Your mother knows," Maura said. "About your dating preferences?"

"I just told her today! Literally today!"

"We started making dinner and she asked me if I knew if you were seeing anyone, and I almost passed out trying to keep your secret for you, only to have her tell me she knew you were into women!"

"She told you that?! What if you hadn't known?! What if I hadn't told you?"

"Jane, she could tell I knew. It's just that now she's been asking me all these questions—"

Jane stormed past Maura and into the kitchen, where her mother was cutting up a pineapple. "Ma, leave Maura alone."

"Oh Janie, you're here! I couldn't help feeling like our conversation was far too short this afternoon. I have so many unanswered questions."

"Not now, Ma."

"But Jane! I'm your mother, I deserve to know some things!"

"I like women! What else is there to know?"

"Why it happened! Was it something I did, or something I said? I'm not telling you to go back and date guys again, I just want to know what caused it." She lowered her voice, looking pained. "Is it because of what you overheard Aunt Teresa saying about blowjobs when you were twelve?"

Jane screwed her eyes shut and winced. "No!"

"And how exactly does it work between two women, anyway?"

"Oh my g—Ma, no."

"I mean there's no, y'know, involved, how do you—?"

"Ma. Stop."

Angela gasped. "Am I getting ahead of you, here? Have you even tried yet?"

"Ma. I am not having this conversation now, and I am not having it ever. There's nothing you or Pop or Aunt Teresa said or did to 'make' me gay. I just am. I'm your daughter, I'm a cop, I'm a sister, and I'm gay. I like the Red Sox and I hate quinoa. That's it. Okay? Don't try and investigate it! And if you think I'm going to give you a play-by-play about how sex between two women works, all I can say is that you've seriously overestimated what I'm willing to share with you."

Looking a little miffed, Angela nobly lifted her head and said, "Well, I'm sorry. I thought that by coming out to me today you'd maybe started feeling like you could confide in me a little bit more."

"Yeah, confide. Not kiss and tell."

A short stare-off commenced, broken only when Maura's oven timer went off and she stepped between the two Rizzoli women, trying to distract them with the lasagna that now had to be tested and sliced. Distraction arrived in a much more legitimate form when the doorbell rang, and Angela exclaimed that it must be their guests from NCIS. Maura went to answer the door, smiling at Gibbs, McGee, and Tony as they each entered the house.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Boston, Patrick Doyle was attempting to attend to a fresh bullet wound. Normally he could take care of these himself, but this one was giving him more trouble than usual. Considering he had other things he'd like to talk to her about, Doyle thought this might be an opportune time to drop in on his daughter. Get medical attention and give her a hot tip.

"Reilly," he grunted to his second-in-command. "What've you found out about the chick hanging around Detective Rizzoli?"

"Uh, which one?" Reilly asked.

Doyle smacked the back of his head. "Which one? The one who looks like she could be my daughter's twin, you moron. What'd you find out?"

"Kate Todd, NCIS."