A/N: I wanted to get this chapter out before the next weather battering makes its way to us. It's snowing already, and they're claiming this is going to be the worst blizzard we've seen since 1978. Keep your fingers crossed that we don't lose power here. We're all still recovering from Superstorm Sandy in October.
Enjoy the chapter, and if I don't update again for a few days, it's probably just storm related and I'll update again as soon as we're back up and running at home.
Friday morning they all got up to see Maura's father off to the airport. Maura and Jane offered to drop him off, since Henri would be leaving to go visit his daughter a few hours later, and he needed time to pick up the clothes Maura had purchased at the boutique and then pack for himself when he returned.
Jane didn't know how to thank Maura's father for all that he did for her while she visited.
"Dr. Isles, thank you so much. I can't thank you enough for your generosity, your hospitality, and most of all how good you've been to me." Jane said as she pulled him into a tight hug at the airport.
Dr. Isles was surprised at the show of affection, but returned Jane's hug. "Remember your promise. Just make Maura happy."
"I will. Every day." Jane said solemnly.
"Good. Have a safe trip back to Boston, Jane. Take good care of my Maura."
"You got it, sir." Jane said.
He leaned in and gave Maura a hug, surprising Maura. "You have a safe trip home. And come back and visit us again soon. It's been wonderful having you around."
"Thank you, Father." Maura said.
"I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you too." She said to him. "Have a safe trip and come see me in Boston soon. There are so many people there I want you to meet."
"I will. I'm looking forward to it."
He gave her a peck on her cheek and then walked toward the security gate, passport in hand. Jane wondered why he was flying a commercial flight, since they had their own jet, but then surmised that the distance may have been too much for the smaller private plane.
"Your dad is a pretty wonderful guy." Jane said as she took Maura's hand and they exited the airport.
"Yes, he is." Maura said, still amazed that he had both hugged and kissed her in public. She couldn't remember him ever doing that before.
"So we're going to take Henri to the train station, and then what?" Jane asked.
"Well, then we're going to need to pack for our date."
"Pack?" Jane asked, surprised.
"Yes, we're taking a little trip. I hope you won't mind another ride in a private jet?" Maura asked. Now Jane knew why Maura's father wasn't using the Isles jet for his trip.
"Where are we going?"
"I promise to tell you when we're on board the plane. The weather is beautiful and I want to take advantage of it. We're going to have a lovely first date."
"I have no idea how any date I take you on is ever going to live up to this." Jane said.
"Just be there, and it'll be the best date I've ever been on. Every time." Maura said, and kissed Jane's cheek.
"How do you do that?" Jane asked.
"Do what?"
"Make me feel so damn good even when I know I can't compare to you?"
"This is not a competition, Jane. And I'd like to spend the rest of my life making you feel good. Seeing you happy makes me feel happy." Maura said.
"You're really the best thing that's ever happened to me." Jane said sincerely. "I can't wait to go on this date with you. Our first official date. It's going to be amazing!"
"I'm glad you're excited about it. When I told you it was going to be a surprise, I thought for sure you would argue with me." Maura said.
"I'm going to try to never argue with you again. I've had more than enough of that." Jane said with a sheepish grin.
"Good." Maura said, and they continued on their way home.
When they arrived back at Maura's parents' house, Henri had already returned with the clothes that the stylist had picked out for Jane and was busy packing his own bag.
"Henri, would you like us to drive you to the train station?" Maura asked.
"No, that is not necessary. I will go in a taxi." Henri said.
"Not at all. Don't be silly, Henri. I will drive you over to the train station. Let me know when you are ready to leave."
Maura found Jane upstairs in the bedroom, looking at the outfits the stylist sent over. She had to admit that they were a bit more feminine than she was used to, and somewhat more formal on her scale of casual clothing, but she liked them and she could tell she was going to look good in them. She wondered how much Maura had spent on her. It wasn't right for Maura to buy her these clothes. She needed to think of a creative way to repay her. Jane continued digging through the shopping bag and came across two very exotic sets of lingerie, and suddenly she knew what Maura had in mind.
She was nervous about that aspect of their relationship. She was ready for it, even eager to experience it. But she had never been with a woman before and she didn't think Maura had been either. She didn't want to mess it up. She didn't want to appear to be the bumbling fool that she knew she might be. She really just wanted everything to be perfect for Maura, and she was afraid she might not be able to do that.
Maura walked in and saw Jane eying the lingerie, and caught the worried expression on Jane's face.
"I only picked that up in case you wanted to, you know. But I want you to know that we don't have to. Not if you're not ready, or if you don't want to, or if you think that we need to wait a little while longer. You weren't supposed to find those. I don't want you to think that I am expecting anything the night of our date." Maura said.
"I'm nervous, but I don't see why we need to plan this out. Let's go on this date you have planned and see what happens when we get there, okay?"
"Does it make you feel better that I'm nervous too?" Maura asked.
"In a way it does, but in a way it makes me even more nervous. You're always so confident and so perfect. Knowing you're nervous makes me feel like I should try harder, to make it perfect for you. But I don't know if I can be perfect. I've never done this before. With a woman, I mean."
"We'll figure it out, Jane. And we will do it in our own time. Whether it's after our date or a month after we get home, it doesn't matter. There's no pressure, okay?"
"Okay." Jane said.
"Come on, Henri is waiting for us to drive him to the train station." Maura said, and Jane was glad they could change the subject.
Jane loved watching Maura drive them to the train station. She didn't think she could ever get used to the narrow European roads, or the way the traffic flowed. She looked at the traffic signs as they went. Some of them she could understand, others were, well, completely foreign to her. Maura navigated with the same practiced ease that she did everything else in her life. Jane admired her confidence and her ability to adapt to her surroundings. Maura may have been socially inept, but she had the ability to read the people and the things around her and make herself fit in. Jane didn't think she would ever be able to do that. She was thankful to have Maura there with her, to guide her and to help her feel comfortable in situations like this.
They were quiet in the car, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Jane was sure that Henri was thinking about his daughter, eager to get there and see her. She wondered what Maura was thinking about. Maybe she was just involved in her driving, out of practice driving a stick shift or unsure of the way to the train station. That could very well be it, but Jane definitely thought Maura was deep in thought, deeper than she would normally be while driving.
When they arrived at the train station they parked in the adjacent garage and pulled Henri's luggage out of the trunk of the car for him. Henri clearly looked uncomfortable having his employer's daughter and his employer's daughter's girlfriend carry his luggage for him, but he allowed it, because he knew it made them happy to do it. They walked him to his platform and waited as the train pulled in.
"I am a little bit sad that I will not be there to see you off on Wednesday." Henri said.
"Don't be sad, Henri. We will be just fine. And one day you must come visit us in Boston." Jane said.
"I cannot do that, Jane, that would not be proper." Henri replied.
"Yes you can, and I insist that you do." Maura said. "You've always been family to me, Henri. So take a vacation and come see Boston. Jane and I would love to show you around."
Henri's eyes looked like they were ready to overflow with tears. "Thank you, Maura." He pulled her in for a hug, then he hugged Jane. "It was lovely to meet you, Jane."
"Thank you for everything, Henri." Jane said.
"Take good care of my Maura, Jane." He said sternly, but a smile played across his lips.
"Oui, monsieur." Jane said, saluting.
Henri gave them both a kiss on the cheek before boarding the train. When he sat down he waved from the window, grinning from ear to ear at the luxury of his first class seat. They stayed and waited for the train to pull out, and then headed home once more.
"What were you thinking about before, when we were driving here?" Jane asked Maura as they got back into the car.
"Hmm? Oh, just about our conversation in the bedroom. I realized I may be pressuring you into moving too fast, and that you might be uncomfortable. I was rethinking this date."
"But I want to go out on a date with you, Maura."
"I just don't want you to feel like you have to have sex with me. I don't want you to think that this date is contingent upon that. Or worse, that our entire relationship is contingent upon that."
"I know that it's not, Maur. Please, don't worry about that, okay? Let's just go on the date and see what happens."
"Are you sure?" Maura asked.
"I'm very sure. I cannot wait to go on our first official date. A date we will never forget."
"I love how you keep calling it an official date." Maura said.
"Well, according to your mother, we've been dating for years. Just not officially." Jane said.
"Not just my mother. Your mother, Frost, Korsak, Frankie, Cavanaugh, I think even Susie Chang thinks we were dating."
"We really were oblivious, weren't we?" Jane asked.
"Some of us more than others." Maura said simply.
"Touché." Jane said, and laughed.
They returned home in a companionable silence, and returned upstairs to Maura's bedroom to continue packing for their date.
"Could you give me a little clue about where we're going, just so I know what to pack?" Jane asked.
"Pack the suit, pack two outfits- shorts preferably, and pack your toiletries. Oh, and pack that sweater you got too. It could get a little chilly at night where we're going." Maura said.
"Not even one clue?" Jane said.
"Not even one." Maura replied.
Jane sighed but refrained from complaining. She promised Maura she was going to argue with her less, and she didn't want to seem ungrateful for this. She trusted Maura and knew they would not be going somewhere that Jane would not enjoy.
When they were finished packing, they returned downstairs and started dinner. With Henri gone, it would be up to them to make sure Constance was fed, though they didn't mind it. They also knew Constance was perfectly capable of cooking for herself, but both Jane and Maura secretly relished how normal this seemed. They had cooked together hundreds of times before and it was something Jane missed terribly when they were not speaking.
They put together a beautiful quiche and a salad, and brought it out to the dinner table. Constance had set the table for them, and they sat down to an easy, relaxed dinner.
Jane was secretly happy that Constance didn't lecture her, or demand to know more about her intentions regarding her daughter.
Maura was secretly happy that Constance wasn't making insinuations about Jane and Maura's sex life like she had at every meal they had shared together since Jane had apologized to Maura.
Constance was secretly happy that the girls were going away on Sunday and would spend some time alone on their own terms. She hoped that if there was anything left for them to work out, they would do so before they returned to Boston.
Saturday morning they all got up and once again headed to the airport. Jane wasn't sure what the pilots on the Isles' private jet normally got paid, but she hoped they were earning overtime for all this flying they were doing. They pulled up at the private hangar and Jane took Constance's suitcases out of the back of the car while Maura helped her mother out of the back seat. Now she knew where Maura got her packing skills from. Constance was going away for five days and had five suitcases with her. Some of them were so heavy, Jane was convinced that Constance had stuffed some of her sculptures into them. She took her time unloading them and walking them over to the attendant that would load them onto the plane. She sensed that Maura and Constance needed a minute to talk without her there to overhear anything, and the multitude of luggage allowed her to give them that opportunity.
"Maura?" Constance asked.
"Yes Mother?" Maura replied.
"I'm so proud of you, darling."
"I haven't done anything to be proud of, Mother."
"Yes, you have. You went after what you wanted. And you're finally listening to your heart." Constance said.
Maura smiled at her mother. "Thank you for letting me run away to you. Thank you for not letting me forget who I am and what my hopes and dreams are. And thank you for believing in me and encouraging me."
"It's been wonderful having you at home. You should come visit us more often."
"Father said the same thing." Maura said.
"Well it's true. And next time don't come without Jane."
"I won't. We're not going anywhere without each other anymore." Maura said.
"Good." Constance stopped and looked at Maura. "Maura, don't forget to tell Jane you love her. She needs to hear that from you. She's intimidated by you sometimes, I think. Don't let her forget that you love her."
"I won't, Mother, but I don't know why she would be intimidated by me. She is the bravest person I know."
"You forget sometimes that the two of you come from two very different worlds. Don't let Jane feel overwhelmed. She does get overwhelmed sometimes and that can make her feel intimidated. That's all I'm trying to say."
"Thanks Mother." Maura said, pondering her mother's words as Jane walked back over to them.
"Everything is all loaded up onto the plane, Constance." Jane said as she approached the two women.
"Thank you, Jane."
"Thank you, Constance. I can't thank you enough for all that you have done for me. Thank you for letting me have a second chance with Maura."
"Jane, you would have found your second chance regardless of whether I had given it my blessing. You're just that tenacious."
"That's why you didn't put me on the list at the gallery, right?" Jane said, smiling.
"Some things have to be earned, dear." Constance said with a laugh.
"Maura said exactly the same thing!" Jane replied, also laughing.
"Have a safe trip, Constance. I'm sorry we'll already be on our way home when you come back."
"You have a safe trip too. Please give my regards to your mother. Tell her we'll have to go get burgers and milkshakes the next time I am in Boston."
"I will. And please come visit soon. Maura misses you." Jane said.
They exchanged their goodbyes and Jane and Maura sat in the car as they watched the plane taxi out to the main runway. They waited until the plane was airborne and out of sight before driving back to the house once more.
Once they returned to Maura's parents' house, they made themselves a late lunch. They made sandwiches and settled in front of the television set with them. Maura flipped through the few channels available to look for something they could watch that Jane could understand.
"I'm sorry, there are a lot fewer channels here than there are at home." Maura said as she flipped through a second time.
"I'm actually just surprised that your parents have a television set." Jane said.
"They like to keep up with the news and they occasionally watch documentaries together." Maura said.
"We could watch that soccer game, if you wanted. I don't need to understand French to know what's going on."
"Sure." Maura said.
"Do you want to watch the game?" Jane asked, certain that Maura had no interest in the sport at all.
"I will if it means spending time with you." Maura said, flashing Jane a sweet smile.
"You're too good for me. You know, we don't have to watch television at all. We can do anything you want."
"No, I just want to sit here and snuggle with you. I don't care what's on the television."
"I love you so much, Maura." Jane said, overwhelmed by the feelings Maura caused to erupt within Jane.
"I love you too."
They spent the next several hours snuggled together on the couch, Jane laughing bemusedly at the funny French commercials and Maura watching Jane. When Maura dozed off against Jane's chest a little while later, Jane figured it was time for bed. She had no idea where they were heading tomorrow, but she didn't care. As long as Maura was with her, anywhere would feel like home. She just wanted to be well rested for the trip.
She scooped Maura up and carried her upstairs to the bedroom. At the top of the stairs, Maura woke up. She smiled up at Jane.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Putting you to bed. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."
Jane walked Maura over the threshold of the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed. Maura blushed.
"You're blushing. Why are you blushing?" Jane asked, cupping one of Maura's cheeks as she leaned over her.
"Will you do that on our wedding night?" Maura asked, her voice sweeter than Jane had ever heard it.
"Only if you marry me." Jane said.
"I will. Someday. If you ask." Maura said.
"You can count on that, beautiful." Jane said, and kissed her tenderly.
A/N: *sigh* I love fluff. Don't you?