Author's note: thank you very much for the reviews, I hope you enjoy the sweetness.

Chapter twenty-one – Socializing

Jane stepped back inside after a quick informative talk with Lisa about their afternoon activities – crossed the living-room area – and sat on the bed next to Maura. The honey blonde was lying flat on her stomach writing postcards.

Naked. Completely naked. Not bothered the least by it.

"You do realize that you aren't wearing anything, right?" Light laugh attempt. Complete failure. Jane winced at her own awkwardness and stared at her hands nervously.

Focused on her writing, Maura lifted her feet up in the air and began to swing them playfully. Pen between her lips, she raised an amused eyebrow at her partner. "I don't understand your issue with nudity. Don't you find the human body beautiful?"

The Italian opened her mouth to reply but didn't say a word. She didn't have the same carefree attitude when it came to all of this and so what? She couldn't help it. Even the new landmarks of their relationship took her a bit aback. She felt timid and clumsy when Maura didn't seem to have the slightest problem to embrace it fully.

How come the mere conversation sounds delicate to you now that you sleep with her whereas she feels so free about it? You think too much, Rizzoli. This isn't a crime scene. Stop analyzing everything.

"Not all the time, no..."

Maura turned her head around and stared at Jane with what looked like a mix of horror and fear. "You find mine ugly?"

Oops. "What? Of course not! You're stunning! I just... Never mind." The Italian came to sit a bit closer and ran her index finger down her partner's spine before reaching the curves of her buttocks. She leaned over and planted the lightest of kisses on the smooth skin. "Never mind."

Smiling before Maura's giggles, she slid a leg between the scientist's before lying on top of her; her lips brushing arms and shoulders suggestively. She had rarely been the one initiating such games in her previous relationships but there was something different, this time. An eagerness that pushed her to break some limits and be bold.

"Jane...!" Giggles, fake attempt to push away a playful hand on her side. "I am writing postcards. Do you want my handwriting to look funny and the sentences a bit... Muddled? I am not sure the lab will appreciate it."

Snort. "You're sending a postcard to your employees?" Right hand on Maura's hip, the detective grabbed the postcard with her left one and widened her eyes in shock. "From Punta Cana With Love? Really? You chose that one?"

Offended, Maura pouted and raised her chin up in defiance. "First of all, you know that I don't consider the lab team as my employees but as my colleagues. And second of all..." She made a face. "... It was the only one that had no rainbow on it."

Fair point.

"Speaking of which, Lisa and Guadalupe go to the quiz held by Rosa at the bar, tonight. They said it was fun and that we should join. Add that to the camp activities you're probably describing to your team on that postcard." Flip of the hand to cast a glance at what Maura had written so far. "Have you told them you were taking good care of a certain BPD detective? Making sure you fulfill your honeymoon requirements perfectly..."

Jane pushed her leg further up, forcing the medical examiner to slightly spread hers. A smirk curled up Maura's lips before the gesture.

"I didn't know that you were kinky."

Heat rushed up the Italian's cheeks. She immediately let go of the postcard and giggled nervously. "I err... I am not really. I'm... I'm just... In the mood...?" Jane winced. Pitiful choice of words. She shook her head apologetically then shrugged. "I'm not like you."

A veil of confusion seemed to slide on Maura's features. She put down her pen and rolled on her side to face Jane properly. Her tongue ran on her lips, made them shine under the bright sunlight of the day. Tender caress on Jane's cheek. Comforting smile.

Heartbeats speeding up loudly.

"This isn't what I want from you... Just be yourself, Jane. I love you the way you are." You sound utterly cheesy, Isles. Even Barbara Cartland wouldn't have dared to choose such words. You should really not talk, at times.

Jane nodded. "Okay. Then this is what I want. Now." Her lips stole Maura's smile in a delicate yet urging kiss.

…

Ten teams of four women each. General knowledge questions. Prize: cocktails and shirts. Rainbow ones. Like the resort could actually offer anything else. It if went on like that, by Wednesday unicorns would invade the beach on Gloria Gaynor songs at night. Jane was sure of that.

Before the friendly spirit of the game, other vacationers had gathered around – out of curiosity – and were now discreetly whispering the answers when the contestants had a hard time finding them by themselves. End of a sunny day by the main swimming-pool; music and drinks - cheers and laughs - a multicolored patchwork of bath towels thrown over people's suntanned shoulders. In a word, just a typical Club Med evening.

"Vale... Team Coco-Loco... Maura – mi Maurita – your turn."

As Rosa winked at the honey blonde, Jane stared at the woman and pursed her lips. What was it that everybody kept on flirting with everybody even if they were supposed to be married? Focus on Maura. The detective barely held back a squeal as she surprised her partner smiling at the bartender.

Visibly pissed, Jane moved on her chair and mumbled between clenched teeth. "Why go check her out since you look so eager to do so."

The medical examiner frowned and shook her head in great confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Maurita! What is the national bird of the Dominican Republic?"

Will Rosa ever stop with her Maurita thing? The nerves she had. Jane clenched her fists and gulped down her beer. Nobody called her Juanita so Maura was Maura. Period. And that was not jealousy. No. That was fairness. My ass, Riz'. You just want her for yourself and yourself only.

The scientist nodded and calmly crossed her hands on the small wooden table. "Cigua Palmera. Also known as Dulus Dominicus. It is a small, long tailed passerine bird; the only specie in the genus Dulus and the family..."

Jane stopped her partner right away. Smiling politely, she squeezed Maura's wrist and laughed – apologetically – to the crowd of vacationers who were now staring at the honey blonde as if she were coming straight from the planet Mars. "Our dear Rosa over here just needs the name; not the breeding and such."

Maura frowned but finally nodded. "I didn't have any specific remark to make about the breeding season that is mainly between March and June because it is rather classic."

"Bueno pues..." Rosa raised a perplexed eyebrow at the blonde. "And one more point for Team Coco-Loco!"

A whole round of high fives followed by disconcerted sighs of despair from the other teams around. Satisfied yet disappointed she couldn't give a full answer to Rosa's question, Maura checked their score on the board. Twelve points ahead of the next contestants. Perfect. Fair enough to say the victory was theirs, now.

She had to recognize that they were forming the perfect team. Guadalupe and Lisa knew absolutely everything about art – Jane mastered in sports – and she had read enough documentation on her way to Punta Cana to be able to answer her questions rather easily. The girls had been right. It was a pleasant evening, entertaining.

"I love this game!" Without thinking it twice, Maura bent over and planted a loud kiss on Jane's cheek. It made the brunette blush and giggle nervously. Although next time let me make sure to choose another team name. Please. Good think the lab team isn't here to witness that.

"On to Team Mamajuana... Clare, give me the title of one of Nelly Rosario's novels."

Not that Mamajuana sounds better. Couldn't they choose more inspirational team names? Painters or writers... Team Nelly Rosario. Now that is way b-...

"What are you thinking about?"

Jane's whisper in her ear – her hot breath against her skin – made her gasp. She turned around and locked her hazel eyes with her partner's dark ones before replying quietly. "Scheherazade. Did you know that Julia Alvarez had described Nelly Rosario as a Caribbean Scheherazade after the publication of her first novel?"

The Italian shook her head. "No, I didn't know that."

The medical examiner made a face. "You find it stupid, don't you?"

The uncertainty in Maura's voice broke the detective's heart. "Not at all. I find it cute. Your fun facts are cute, Maura Isles."

"You surely have an impressive knowledge." Lisa smiled. "Let's play pub quiz one day in Boston. Between your incredible memory and Jane's sport knowledge, I'm sure we can do some pretty good damage."

Although they didn't have to wait for any Boston damage. Ten minutes later, their victory became official and with tight rainbow shirts on that said 'Punta Cana Finest Ladies', they regrouped by the pool for a picture that would probably end up on the resort web page the very next day which was damaging enough in itself.

Just another way to make sure that the BPD would make fun of them soon enough.

"A big round of applause for our winners: Lisa, Guadalupe, Jane and Maura! Boston's celebration, tonight!" Rosa winked at the scientist again but made a step backwards as she finally noticed the Italian's stare. Better to avoid any kind of lesbian drama.