Author's note: thank you again for all the reviews; I know I'm supposed to post here every two days but the chapter was ready so enjoy!

...

Chapter nine

Monday evening

Head leaned against the palm of her hand, Maura looked at Jane and burst out laughing along with Violet and Matthew. The Italian rolled her eyes, sighed loudly.

"We are so losing, Maur'. It's the last time I pair with you against an artist to play Pictionary. Look at that... It's... Argh!"

The honey blonde leaned over the coffee table – cupped her partner's face – and planted a light kiss on her lips to calm her down.

"Why I still think my horse-drawn carriage looked pretty good."

Jane grunted and mumbled an inaudible reply. She grabbed her beer – took a sip – and shook her head at the board pointing out their piece that was standing far behind Violet and Matthew's.

"Jeez how would we know? You were so slow you barely had time to draw two wheels!"

Maura gasped; her mouth wide open under the shock caused by such comment.

She should have known that suggesting Jane to play Pictionary would turn bad. The brunette had a way too strong competitive spirit to simply enjoy her time. Losing was out of the question for her. Every time. No matter what.

"You know I dislike being rushed into anything. It isn't my fault if I need to take my time to make sure that I get the best results possible."

Jane clapped her hands – just once – to ironically support Maura's explanation.

"Your perfectionism will kill us, Maur'. I mean it!"

Amused by the scene, Violet grabbed the dice and held it out to the Italian. She shrugged – almost sorry – and cleared her voice.

"Well... It is your turn, Jane."

The brunette accepted the dice – cast a glance at Maura – and nodded to nobody in particular but herself. It was now or never to actually not look completely ridiculous even in the defeat.

...

Leaned on one foot – a hand on Maura's waist for balance – Jane extended her arm and grabbed her body lotion on top of wooden shelves. She straightened back and sighed as her eyes met the blonde's hazel ones in the mirror.

The vibration of Maura's electric toothbrush had made it for the sudden silence that had fallen over the bathroom. The scientist rose her hands up in defeat and Jane rolled her eyes.

Not only had they lost at Pictionary but now the honey blonde had just informed her that she had come across an ex Jane had never heard about.

"What does he look like?"

Maura shrugged and focused on the bath towels on her right. Perhaps she should have kept it for herself. As a matter of fact, she had been debating in her head the interest of alluding to it all day long but honesty had finally won over the rest.

"Tall, dark hair, blue eyes... Suntanned..."

Jane motioned her to stop. Releasing her anger on her hands as she applied lotion on them, she bit her lips and frowned.

"Alright, I see. A life-sized version of Ken. Wonderful, really. Excellent. I mean... Awesome."

Passing the tip of her tongue over the corner of her mouth to clean her face from toothpaste, Maura offered a smile she hoped comforting enough.

"There's a reason why Daniel and I aren't together anymore, Jane. We aren't attracted to each other... We're done, it all belongs to the past. He is a remarkable man – a very talented archeologist – and... That's it!"

Jane grabbed her toothbrush. She looked unconvinced, suddenly lacking confidence. Perhaps Maura shouldn't have told her anything. Seeing the Italian in such state hurt deep inside.

If honesty was important, diplomacy was paramount at times.

"He is married, besides."

Jane scoffed and leaned against the shelves on her left.

"So was my father."

Touché. Uncomfortable, Maura looked down at the sink and tried to find something to say; something that would make Jane forget her last words, all the things they had implied. All of a sudden, her toothbrush was too loud to her taste and the bathroom felt too small.

"Do you have news?"

Her question slid on her lips in a whisper of implicit apologies. Jane nodded but her face betrayed that vulnerability she usually did her best to hide. If they rarely talked about her father, his potential presence at their wedding had logically showed up at some point soon followed by what-ifs and doubts.

"He doesn't know yet if he can make it but he'll try. Florida's a bit far for a weekend up North."

Maura nodded but didn't say anything. She turned off her toothbrush then sighed. It was their wedding. She knew what it meant for Jane even if the brunette didn't say it properly. If her father didn't show up, it would remain there, on her heart; weighing hard.

"Maybe it's better that way. Ya know... The last thing I want is a Rizzoli scene between ma' and pop' while we're about to say our vows. That'd be... That'd be quite a nightmare."

Jane laughed away her remark but her reaction didn't fool Maura and – mouth full of toothpaste – the blonde leaned over to plant a kiss on her lover's cheek.

"I love you."

The scientist passed her arms around Jane's waist before resting her head on her shoulder; letting her lips go back up the Italian's neck.

"Ew, Maur'! Your kisses are sticky. You're putting toothpaste all over me!"

But Jane didn't mind at all – on the contrary – and she burst out laughing. Her day had been long and rather emotionally exhausting. Her relatives hadn't stopped asking questions about her relationship with Maura and she had never been so relieved to finally come back home after that.

"I love you too... In spite of your toothpaste mess and your Ken lookalike exes."

Maura adjusted the straps of her negligee on her pale shoulders – pouted at her reflection in the mirror – and nodded before rummaging into a wicker basket. In vain. Annoyed, she looked up at her partner and frowned.

"Do you know where my contact lenses case set is? I thought I had left it in there this morning but I can't find it back."

Jane stayed still; her brow furrowed in concentration. Curiously, she hadn't learned before their trip to Rugby that Maura wore contacts.

She had noticed the case set in the small bathroom they had shared. Not expecting any visitor, the scientist had unpacked all her belongings there; vanity case included. Jane hadn't alluded to it by then but for some reason, the tiny detail of Maura's life had made her smile.

"Bedside table. You left in a hurry this morning and dropped it there while taking your cell phone."

A bright smile lit up the honey blonde's face and as joyful as a child, she exited the bathroom on her tiptoes before poking her head back by the door frame.

"Thanks! … And by the way, Daniel doesn't look like Ken. No... He is more like Indiana Jones, actually. So sexy, you know. Strong arms, a killer smile... And adventurous!"

She winked playfully before leaving once and for all. Toothbrush in mouth, Jane felt her heart beat faster – her hands become moist – as a ridiculous anger invaded her. She swallowed hard and rolled her eyes.

"Not funny, Maur!"

No. It wasn't funny at all.