The moment Jane and Maura entered the station the next morning, the whispers and stares started. Jane sighed to herself, her eyes nervously glancing down at Maura's wrists. She had begged the Doctor to cover up her wrists and Maura had tried her best. The marks however, were worse when they woke up this morning and no matter what the honey blonde did, she couldn't completely cover them up. And she had made it absolutely clear that she wasn't going to wear any wrist wraps. First of all they clashed with what she was wearing and secondly… everyone would definitely know something was up if she was caught wearing them. But it didn't matter anyway, because everyone noticed.
"Damn Rizzoli. Didn't think you had the guts to actually tie the poor Doc up." Jane clenched her hands into fists and shot a death-glare at one of the many officers who had been teasing Jane the moment they knew about her and Maura.
Fortunately for the man, he quickly cowered back from her look, raising his hands in a silent apology. The Detective knew she shouldn't let them get to her, but she couldn't help it.
"Anyone say another word about this and I'll make damn sure none of you get a promotion. Ever." To make it clear how serious she was, she added a soft growl. The officers around her nodded their heads meekly, fear shining brightly in their eyes.
Satisfied with the result she got, she placed her hand on the small of Maura's back and guided them towards the coffee. She was definitely gonna need a hell of a lot of it if she was going to get through the day.
"Just let them talk Jane." Maura piped up as they were pouring their beverages and Jane glanced at her.
"I know. But I just can't stand the thought that they're… picturing us. Picturing you." Maura sighed, placing the lid on her cup.
"I don't think it'll be the first time they've pictured us naked Jane. I'm quite flattered actually." Jane looked at her incredulously. She was happy about this?
"You're flattered about the fact that guys twenty years younger than you want to see you naked?" Maura shrugged, nodding her head as she pondered the question.
"Yes. There are a lot of attractive women out there Jane. All you have to do is turn on the TV and there is always someone or something sexual on. So if they think I'm more attractive than all of those women on TV, then yes I am flattered. Wouldn't you be?" Her question was innocent, hell, her whole explanation was innocent, but Jane couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"No! These are people that I work with! I don't want to think about whether or not they want to see me naked? If I think about that every time I talk to someone than I won't be able to do my job. And I can't believe you think you're not as attractive as those women on TV. Maura, you're beautiful and no woman could ever come close to you. And now I'm starting to sound all sappy. I'm going to stop. I need coffee." Maura smiled, reaching out to rest her hand on Jane's arm. Giving it a gentle squeeze, Maura mouthed 'thank you'. Jane smiled and nodded.
"And now we should go before my Ma pops up and starts asking questions. Because as uncomfortable everyone asking questions is, it's going to be embarrassing when it's my mother. Unless you want to tell her all about last night?" Maura looked horrified and glanced around, making sure that Angela wasn't anywhere near them. She couldn't lie and she had no intentions of telling the other woman what happened.
"Good idea."
"Meet up for lunch?" Maura nodded, pressing the button for the elevator. Jane did the same and they waited in comfortable silence for the elevator to arrive.
Maura's came first and with a kiss to Jane's cheek, she stepped in. "See you at lunch." The Detective nodded, a grin on her face.
"Jane! There you are. I was hoping to bump into you this morning, but I didn't see you. You aren't avoiding me are you?" Angela's accusing tone filled her ears the moment she stepped into the café and Jane sighed.
"No Ma. I'm not avoiding you." Right now. She added in her head. Angela seemed to scrutinize her daughter for another second, before brushing it off.
"I was wondering if you talked to Maura yet." Jane waited for her mother to elaborate, but when the woman kept silent she spoke up.
"Uhh Ma, we live together, of course I've talked to her." Angela sighed exasperatedly, throwing her hands up.
"About what's going on with Garrett. Of course I know you talk Jane. I just thought you would understand what I was trying to say. And you call yourself a detective." Jane held her tongue – which was very hard – and took a deep breath.
"Well, now that you ask. He came by yesterday."
"Oh?" Jane opened her mouth to continue, when she heard the tone in her mother's voice. Narrowing her eyes at the other woman, she stepped closer.
"Oh? What's with the tone Ma? I know that tone. It means 'I already know whatever you're going to say'. So what do you know?" Angela rolled her eyes. Maybe she was a good Detective after all.
"I don't know anything Jane. All I did was call Constance and tell her what happened." Jane's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets and she gaped at her mother.
"What! You called… You did what?! Ma, that is none of your business! If Maura finds out she's going to…"
"Going to what?" Jane's whole body froze when she heard the silky smooth voice of Maura float around them. Swallowing thickly, she turned around and smiled sweetly at her girlfriend. But Maura had her arms crossed and was frowning at both women, her eyes going from one to the other.
"Uhm, nothing? You ready to go?" Of course she knew that Maura would want to know what was going on, but that didn't stop her from trying.
"Jane? What am I going to do when I find what out?" The Detective hung her head, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Raising her arm, she pointed at her mother.
"It was her. I didn't have anything to do with it. I swear." Maura could tell Jane wasn't lying. Her body language and the tone of her voice told her. So she settled her gaze on Angela, raising one peaceably manicured eyebrow. The older woman tried to seem nonchalant, but Maura could see the nerves behind those eyes.
"I might have called your mother." The Doctor blinked once, twice and let her arms drop to her sides.
"You called my mom?" Jane snorted, raising her head to glare at her mother.
"Yeah and she told her all about Garrett. Seriously Ma, that was way out of-" Maura cut her off.
"Thank you." Again, Jane gaped at someone, this time Maura.
"You're thanking her? Why?" The honey blonde smiled softly at Angela, before turning her gaze to Jane. Stepping forward, she grabbed her girlfriend's hand.
"Because Garrett signed those papers because of it. Mom might not look like it, but she can be very intimidating. And she can sound very intimidating too. I think she made a phone call either to Garrett himself or his parents."
"You're mom definitely looks intimidating. Without her even trying." Maura gave Jane a look, which the Detective matched.
"Don't give me that look Maur. You know I'm right." The honey blonde sighed, rolling her eyes. Jane smiled. It looked really cute when they weren't fighting. To be honest, she had been doing her best to get Maura to roll her eyes. And to her surprise, it wasn't even that hard. Although she was starting to wonder if that was a good thing.
"Shall we go to lunch?" Jane nodded, glad to be talking about something else.
"Do you need me to make something for you…? Oh my god Maura what happened to your wrists?" Snickers were immediately heard around them and Jane wasted no time in shutting them up with a glare.
Maura flushed, heat rising to her cheeks. Luckily for her, Jane noticed the early stages of a lie and quickly intervened.
"Nothing Ma. And thanks but no thanks, we'll grab something on the way." Not waiting for a reply, Jane tugged on the hand that was holding onto her and guided them both out of the station, glaring at everyone who had a smile on their face.
They settled in their booth at the Dirty Robber. Maura looked around.
"We never come here for lunch. We should do it more often. It's nice and quiet this time of the day. I have trouble understanding you most of the nights we go out for drinks." Jane chuckled, grabbing the menu to leaf through.
"And then you oh so conveniently have to slip into my booth and lean really close to me. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to take the words right out of my mouth… literally." She watched as the honey blonde shrugged, glancing up from her own menu for a second to lock eyes with Jane. There was a certain twinkle in those hazel eyes. A dangerous look for lack of a better word. Jane smirked.
"You tend to decrease your volume the closer I get. So you can't blame me for coming close to you Jane. Besides, you seem to quite like it. If anything, I might even think you're doing it on purpose." This time it was Jane who shrugged. "Are you?" The Detective played dumb.
"Am I what?" Hazel eyes narrowed at her and Jane chuckled. "Well you caught me. I just like having you close." Maura agreed.
"Me too. So…" She let her sentence trail off, instead letting her actions speak. Letting her body slide of the booth, she went around and slid into the other side, her hip and leg touching Jane's. "Better?" Jane's throat had suddenly gone completely dry and she found herself at a loss for words. So she nodded. Dumbly.
She knew that Maura had started to become more straight forward when it came to Jane, yet the Detective was always surprised. The honey blonde seemed to pick the most unexpected moments to surprise her. Like now. It looked really weird, two people at one side and no one on the other. And they had to crane their necks to look at each other. But even after taking all of that into consideration, nothing came even close to feeling Maura's body heat and having their legs and hips touching.
"If I have neck cramp at the end of lunch I'm blaming you." Maura laughed, bumping her shoulder against Jane's.
"Then I guess I'd have to give you a massage later tonight." Her tone was filled with seduction and Jane felt a shot of arousal go straight between her legs.
"Please don't say anything like that again. I don't think I'd be able to get through lunch if you do." She watched as this victorious look came over Maura and the honey blonde smiled.
"All right. I'm not entirely looking forward to the prospect of having sex in the bathroom. Especially not in the Dirty Robber. This place is not as sanitary as it looks." Maura, after having said that, went into a whole lecture about unsanitary places in a bar. And that's exactly what Jane needed. She slowly felt her body relax. Google talk wasn't attractive at all. Especially not when it was about germs and bodily fluids. Wait what?
"Maura please stop. You're going to make me lose my appetite." A sigh and another roll of her eyes. Jane smiled. Yep, not getting sick of that any time soon. Way too adorable.
It was the end of the day for Jane and after a quick trip to the morgue, she was told she was going home alone. Maura had some last minute paperwork to finish and wasn't going to leave it until the next day. So the Detective figured she would say 'bye' to her Ma and head home. But Angela had other ideas.
"So when are you going to ask her?" Jane hadn't even said a word, before the question was directed at her. She looked baffled. What was her mother talking about?
"What? Ask her what?" Angela gave her a look, wiping the already clean counter with a rag that looked like it was older than the woman using it.
"To marry you. You seriously make me wonder about you sometimes Janie." The Detective let out a grunt, her head dropping onto the counter.
"Ma!" Angela pursed her lips, swatting the rag at her daughter's head. Jane lifted her head, glaring at her mother. The older woman watched as the glare slowly turned into uncertainty and Jane started to fidget with her hands. That was all she needed.
"Oh my god, are you going to ask her?!" The shriek made several heads turn and Jane glanced around feverishly, before settling a glare on her mother.
"Ma! Be quiet. I'm not even sure myself all right?" Sighing, the Detective ran a hand through her hair before continuing. "The whole thing with Garrett has made me think about it. But it's also making me scared. What if she doesn't want to marry me? Or anyone for that matter? I wouldn't blame her after being married to that sleazebag." Jane looked at her mother, hoping to find the answers in her eyes. The eyes that always held so much knowledge, love and adoration.
Angela smiled, reaching over the counter to take her daughter's hands in her own. Running her thumb over the back of her hand, locked eyes with the brown orbs across from her.
"Listen to me Jane. I have never seen you happier since you met that woman. And I've seen the love in those eyes. Directed at you. I've seen her eyes light up every time you walk into the room and a smile appear on her face. You two love each other so much Jane, even a blind man could see it!" Jane chuckled.
"Maura would tell you that that's impossible. But that he would probably be able to feel it or something, because his other senses are enhanced."
"And this is exactly what I'm talking about. Why don't you bring it up? Ask her if she ever thinks about marrying someone again. She might be a genius, but she isn't all that great at catching onto certain things, so you don't have to worry about her catching on to you." They shared a smile and Jane let out a breath.
"You know what? You're right. But… don't you think we're moving a bit too fast? I mean, we haven't even been together for a year, let alone six months! What if we get married and we start to annoy each other? Find out things we should've found out before?" Jane groaned, now it was suddenly starting to seem like a bad idea.
"Listen to me." Angela started, squeezing Jane's hands. "Even after being married to Frank for fifteen years I still found out things about him. But I didn't mind. It held a certain… mystery to it all. And trust me, you need something to keep it interesting after fifteen years. Especially with a man like that." The two women shared a laugh and Jane shook her head.
"So you think she'll say yes? And that we'll be happy?"
"Are you happy now?" Jane nodded. "And do you want to spend the rest of your life with her?" Again, Jane nodded. "Do you see yourself without her?" Jane wrinkled her nose.
"I-I don't. It might sound weird, but I can hardly remember my life before her. And I don't even want to think about my life without her." Angela nodded, giving Jane's hands another squeeze.
"Then that's your answer." And with a shuddering breath, Jane came to the same conclusion. She was going to ask Maura to marry her.