A/N
Thank you guys for all your comments.
Rizzles' almost there. Promise.
Sadly I still don't own the show or characters.
–––
CHAPTER TEN
A stuffed tortoise is sitting on a shelf that is standing in the spare room opposite Maura's bedroom. She never knew what exactly to do with this particular room. A guest room and her home-office where downstairs, the room next to her bedroom is her yoga room which is connected through the closet with it.
Now the spare room would finally have a purpose. It would be the nursery.
The shelf currently held all the books Maura couldn't fit in to her office and amidst of them the fluffy tortoise sits Jane bought when they were shopping yesterday.
So the bean can have a pet you can actually cuddle and not only pet the shell she's told Maura.
Sitting cross legged on a rug in the middle of the room, the purchases she made yesterday are laid out in front of her. A smile graced her lips while she is folding them neatly. She couldn't believe that in a few month a tiny human being would be wearing them. They just seem so small, like they're supposed for some doll.
Jane stands in the doorway that leads into Maura's spare room and observes the scene in front of her. The blonde sits on the floor folding the freshly washed clothes she bought the day before. Every other minute her hand would stroke her belly.
Finally the blonde seems to feel Jane's gaze and looks up, hazel eyes penetrating her own chocolate ones.
"Hey" Jane's voice is low and throaty.
"Hi," Maura greets back. "I didn't notice you standing there. I thought you'd still be asleep."
It was early. To early for Jane to get up on a free weekend, but the blonde couldn't turn of her inner clockwork and nature's call. She slipped out of bed half an hour ago and instead of returning to the warmth of Jane she was excited to get the clothes out of the dryer.
"Why didn't you come back to bed?" Jane asks taking a sip of a coffee she is holding in her hands. "I missed you. And your bedroom is freezing."
Maura chuckles. "You know the perfect temperature to sleep is between 61 and 64 degree (16-18°C)."
"Just admit that you miss your morgue." Jane teases.
"It wouldn't be wise to have a morgue in your home. It wouldn't be sanitary." Maura frowns. "Even though I do sterilize my instruments and tables after every use."
"I was kidding, Maur."
"Oh," Maura beautiful face is graced once more with a bright smile. "Sarcasm."
"Exactly." Jane watches as Maura folds the last of the onesies and takes the whole stack to put them in an ornamented wooden box. "So, what do you say, breakfast? I'm sure Ma will be here any minute to make pancakes."
Maura makes a face. "No pancakes." Just the thought about the pancakes makes her nauseous. "I'd rather have some chocolate covered bacon and an egg white omelet."
"I think I'm going to like your pregnancy food choices." Jane smirks. She loves chocolate covered bacon, but every time she has some Maura lectures her about the bad influences of it on her cholesterol levels.
"Very funny, Jane."
–––
"Good morning, Angela." Maura greets the Rizzoli matriarch. Bacon sizzles in the pan in front of her. She hasn't bothered to change into some clothes yet and was still clad in some silk pajamas and a color coordinated silk robe. Her feet are bare.
"Good morning, honey." Angela says while she's walking over to Maura and watches her. "Is Jane here?"
"Oh, yes." Maura fishes the bacon out of the pan and lays it out on some paper towels to soak up the excess fat. "She's in the shower."
"When was the last time my daughter actually went home to give you some space?" Angela casually asks.
"Oh, I think on Monday, but she came back later." Maura answers honestly.
Angela shakes her head and finally registered what Maura is cooking. "I don't know how you can put up with her all the time and now she even lets you make chocolate covered bacon for her."
"Oh, I don't mind having her over." She takes the small pot of melted chocolate off the heat. "And she didn't make me do anything. I wanted to eat the bacon."
"Oh?" Now that is interesting, Angela thinks since when is the doctor eating this? Finally something in Angela's mind seem to click. She watches Maura for a moment. Takes in the content look on her face as she dips the bacon in the chocolate.
"Maura," Angela is already squealing. "Are you pregnant?"
Taken aback for a moment Maura stares at Angela. How could she have noticed? But then again she reasons, the older woman had three children. "Uhm," Maura stutters. "Yes? How did you notice?"
Angela is already embracing her in a bone crushing hug. "Oh my God," she exclaims happily. "I'm going to be a grandmother."
Just then Jane is making her way into the kitchen. "Ma, let go of her, you're squishing her to death!" By her mothers behavior Jane doesn't need to ask what has happened just before her arrival. Somehow her mother got Maura to spill the beans.
Angela reluctantly lets go. "Oh, Maura, I'm sorry."
"It's okay." She smiles shyly.
"So how far along are you? Since when do you know? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" There's a whole string of endless questions coming out of Angela's mouth.
"Ma!" Jane snaps. "Slow down a bit, will ya?"
"Of course," Angela nods. "So?"
"Well," Maura starts. "We found out last week."
"I knew you two were hiding something!"
"It wasn't my attention, but I wanted to wait to tell everyone until my second trimester."
"So who's the father?" At that Maura's face fell.
"I'd rather not talk about him."
"Oh, doesn't he want children?"
"Ma, Maura doesn't want to talk about him."
"But Maura is such a lovely woman, he should marry her."
Jane groans.
"I don't want to marry him." Maura replies quietly. "I should've never slept with him in the first place." Jane comes to stand beside Maura and takes her hand and squeezes it in a comforting manner.
"Oh," Angela "but a child needs a father."
Jane is getting protective. "Ma, Maura doesn't want to marry, so just leave it. She doesn't need a man. She has me and Frankie and Frost and Korsak and you."
Angela backtracks a little sensing it's a sensible topic. "So how far along are you?"
"Eight weeks" she extracts her hand from Jane's and walks over to where her purse stands and looks for the sonogram. She comes back and hands it to Angela.
"Oh, I'm so excited!" she looks at the picture. "Do you know how your gonna paint the nursery? Wait where will it be?"
"In the spare room opposite my room." Maura tells her. "I haven't thought about how I'm going to decorate it yet."
Jane just rolls her eyes about her mothers antics. But maybe she'll let her of the hook for some time when at least one of her children gives her a grandchild. After all she considers Maura as the girly daughter Jane never was.
"Angela, do you mind to not telling anyone else yet?" Maura looks at Angela seriously. "I'd like to tell people on my own."
"I can keep a secret." Angela makes a show to zip her mouth shut and lock it. "Tell me if you need anything, alright?"
"I will, thank you."
–––
*Buzz, buzzz*
There's a cell phone on Maura's nightstand disturbing her light slumber in the early morning hours. She reaches for it lazily, not actually registering the fact that it's on Jane's side of the bed.
"Dr. Isles" she answers, her voice laced with sleep.
"Oh, sorry, I thought I called Jane" Frost replies.
"Wha-" Maura blinks and looks at the phone. "oh, you did call Jane. Wait a moment."
She turns to face Jane, but the detective is already picking up her own phone, which was apparently dumped at the same side of the bed.
"Rizzoli" she croaks. Maura watches her bemused as realization flitters across Jane's face. Wordlessly she holds the hand with her phone in front of Jane's face.
"It's Frost."
"Dispatch."
They smile at each other and swap phones. A few seconds later they both end the calls with a "On my way."
–––
When Maura and Jane duck beneath the crime scene tape a bright smiling Frost and Korsak greet them. Seeing the idiotic smiles on their faces Jane scowls at them and they quickly try to school their faces back into professional masks.
"Good morning Doc, Jane." Korsak greets.
"Good morning you two." Frost says with an amused tone. Another stare is directed at him.
"So what have we got?" Jane asks the men.
"Looking pretty gruel." Korsak mutters. "A John Field. 32. Stabbed to death."
"You can't say that with certainty." Maura quips.
Korsak ignores her comment and goes on. "A neighbor called it in, he heard someone scream."
"Did you already speak with the neighbor?" Jane asks.
"No" Frost answers. "Was going to do it now."
"Alright." Jane nods at him than turns to Maura. "Shall we go see the victim?"
"Yes, let's." Maura answers.
Korsak twists and waves his hand in the direction of the entrance of the building in front of them. "Follow me ladies."
Together they walk up to the third floor of the apartment building. The stairway was a buzzing coming and going of police officers and crime scene techs. Curious neighbors are ushered outside to keep them from compromising any evidence.
The sight that greets them as they enter the flat is indeed not a nice one. The body of John Field is splayed out in front of the sofa. The coffee table is thrown over and there are a few dishes shattered on the floor.
"Jealous wife?" Jane theorizes.
"We put out a BOLO for her." Korsak offers. "One of the neighbors said that she left earlier by car in a rush."
Jane approaches the victim and snaps some gloves over her hands. Maura is already crouching down giving him a one over.
"I'd say he's dead about an hour and a half." She tells Jane as she examined him further.
"He was obviously stabbed to death."
"Jane," Maura admonishes her. "I don't know if this is the cause of death yet."
He lays in a puddle of blood, some is spluttered on the sofa and there is a trail of blood coming from the kitchen.
"Do we have a murder weapon?" Jane asks and looks up to Korsak.
"So far we haven't found it."
Maura stands up and waves over one of her minions. "I'm finished here, you can bag him." The tech nods and heads of.
"Do you stay here for statements?" Maura asks Jane.
"Yes," Jane comes up closer to her to keep their conversation private. "I can catch a ride back with Frost. I'll come by later for some breakfast?"
"Alright." Maura collects her bag and together they leave the apartment. Jane to find Frost and Maura to get to her Prius.
–––
Frost smiles smugly at her. "Anything you want to tell me, partner?"
"No." Jane states. She knows what he's thinking.
"You sure?" He tilts his head slightly and watches her intensely.
"Yep. And now mind your own beeswax." With that she turns the key in the ignition.
It is shortly after eight in the morning and they had talked to concerned and noisy neighbors for about two hours. And she hadn't had a coffee yet.
On the bright side this case seemed almost closed. If they find the wife in a timely manner that is.
According to the man living next door the couple started arguing late at night. And it wasn't a rare occasion either. Not until Mr. Field was screaming obviously in pain someone called the police but it was too late when the officers busted through the door. Belinda Field already fled the scene.
The supposed murder weapon was retrieved from one of the dumpsters around the corner, a rather large kitchen knife that Jane noticed missing in the knife-block when she was analyzing the flat.
–––
The door to the autopsy suit is swooshing open. Maura wears her black scrubs and a light blue protective gown and some safety goggles. She looks up at the sound of the door closing.
"Hello Jane," she greets her best friend.
"Hi Maur," Jane smiles. "You almost done?"
"Yes, just have to sew him back close." She starts the suture on John Fields body to stitch up the Y-incision.
"So tell me," Jane's husky voice appears at her side. "what's the cause of death?"
Maura looks up briefly. "Penetration of his left atrium with a sharp object."
"A sharp object?" Jane teases.
"Yes, approximately eight inches long and two inches wide at it's base."
"So a kitchen knife would do it?"
Maura contemplates for a second "Yes."
"Good." Jane's voice is lazed with sarcasm. "Because we just happened to find one in a dumpster around the corner, covered in the victims blood."
"Reddish-brown stains." Maura corrects.
"Excuse me?"
"You won't know if it's the victims blood until further testing."
"Fine." Jane rolls her eyes.
"So," Maura snaps of her gloves and removes her protective gown when the last stitch is done. "are you up for some breakfast? I'm starving!"
Jane nods enthusiastically "Good thinking." And as if to emphasize her point, her stomach growls loudly.
–––
In the afternoon patrol found Belinda Field and brought her in for questioning. After taking in her appearance it was pretty obvious that she had killed her own husband in the night. Her clothes are bloodstained and even in her hair are bloody strands plastered to her skull. The fingerprints they found on the murder-weapon match hers as well.
It was easy to get her confession. She regretted her action now and was sobbing, but she's been fed up with her husbands cheating and how he spent their money. They often fought before, but this time her rage got out of hand.
A victorious smile adorns Jane's features when she strides into Maura's office.
"Hey Maur," she calls out. "The guys want to celebrate the closure of the case. You up for it?"
She doesn't see the blonde immediately, she's not sitting at her desk. She turns around and see's her friend laying on the uncomfortable designer couch seemingly undisturbed by Jane's loud arrival. The detectives face softens, it's not the first time she catches her best friend napping in the last view days.
She crouches down in front of the couch and reaches out to stroke the soft cheek oft the medical examiner.
"Hey sleepyhead," she coaxes. "time to wake up."
Maura nuzzles into Jane's touch but opens her eyes. Jane's smile is greeting her. "Hi," her tone is sleep laden. "I was finished for today and thought I'd lay down a bit while waiting for you." After the early start this morning and three autopsies she's exhausted. She was barely able to finish the reports, her eyes drooping heavily over the screen of the laptop.
"Are you up for a drink at the robber with the guys?" Jane asks.
"Mh," the blonde considers. "yes, we haven't seen them outside of work in a while."
"We don't have to if you're too exhausted." Jane strokes a honey blonde strand of hair out of Maura's face, behind a delicate ear.
"No," Maura reassures her. "I'm fine."
–––
Frost, Korsak and Frankie are already sitting in their usual booth at the Dirty Robber when Jane and Maura enter the cop bar. The two friends are sliding side by side in across from Frost and Korsak.
"Ah, our favorite couple graces us with their company." Frankie teases. Jane throws him a dirty look. "Very funny, Frankie."
"I hear you two already share a phone." He can't help himself, it's just to good to push Jane's buttons.
Before Jane can lash out at her brother Maura puts a calming hand on Jane's thigh. "I'm glad you could close the case already." she tells everyone at the table and smiles.
"Yeah," Korsak agrees. "Though I'd like to close the Schwartz/Wright case soon as well."
Jane frowns. "I hope it doesn't get cold."
"If anyone can solve it, it's you." Maura speaks with pride. Jane is one of the best detective she works with, if not the best.
"Thanks Maur."
The men watch the exchange of the two women, wondering how they could be so damn oblivious to each other. And those two claim to be a detective and a genius.
"Hey Frost, Frankie, you up for a game of darts?" Korsak asks.
"You sure old man?" Frost smirks. "Jane?"
"Huh?" she whips her head around. Frankie laughs.
"You in for darts?" Frost asks.
Turning back to Maura the blonde nods happily. "Oh you let me play, too? We can be a team!" Eager to play Maura claps her hand like a child in a candy store.
"Yeah, I'll show you" Jane grabs Maura's hand and they start to slide out of the boot again. "We're gonna bust your asses!"
"Jane, language!"
The small group makes their way over to the dartboard.
Frankie starts, his aim would've been good if it weren't for some already drunk patrons that stumble into him.
"Watch and learn, kiddo." Korsak rumbles.
"Hey that wasn't fair!" Frankie complains.
When it's Maura's turn, she positions herself in a perfect stance to throw the dart, but it misses the aim.
"Here," Jane steps up behind her. "Let me show you."
Her hand wraps around Maura's right and she guides her to how she best throws the dart. They make a few practice motions without actually throwing the dart. Maura relishes Jane's embrace, the heat of her body permeating into her back, sending small jolts of electricity down her spine.
"See," Jane's breath is ghosting over the shell of her ear, her voice deep, only for her to hear. "That's how you do it."
Maura nods in a trance and a moment later Jane steps back, spell broken. The doctor throws the dart, and strikes the middle of the dartboard. A big smile on her face she turns back to Jane.
"Ha Frankie, that's how you do it!" Jane exclaims.
–––
A few games and a burger with fries later the duo enters Maura's home and a happy Jo Friday greets them by yapping and jumping.
"Good girl" Jane bends down to ruffle through her mutts fur but Jo is already centering her attention on Maura and follows the blonde into the kitchen. "Traitor!" Jane shouts after her.
Maura gets some cactus pads out of the fridge and lays them out for Bass and than opens a cupboard to retrieve some fancy dog food for Jo. Jo follows her around and then sits beside her and waits for Maura to fill her bowl.
Jane joins them and grabs herself a beer. "She likes you better than me." she pouts.
"I have the better food." Maura teases.
"Hey," Jane mocks and pokes Maura playfully in the ribs. The blond giggles and swats Jane's arm.
The doorbell interrupts their playful banter.
"You expecting someone?" Jane jokes.
"No," Maura furrows her brows and straightens out her dress as she walks over to the door.
She gasps when she see's who's on the other side and reaches for the knob.
"Richard," she states coldly. "What are you doing here?"
–––
A/N
Sorry, not sorry to leave you hanging here.