MAURA'S POV
We've just finished eating a beautiful Italian meal in a restaurant called Righetto Al Grappolo D'oro. We've only had one bottle of wine for the table. Both Lena and Becca have stuck to drinking water. The conversation all way through dinner was about me and Jane, what we did for a living, how we met, etc. They were both shocked that we have only been dating for nearly two months.
"So..." Jane starts as she looks at me before turning to face Lena. "Have you always been a pilot?"
Lena smiles and nods. "Yep. I leant to fly when I was young. My dad used to be a pilot. Flying is something I've always wanted to do."
"How long have you been flying for the company?" I ask.
"Actually...I've only been flying private jets for four months." Lena admits before continuing, "I used to fly for the U.S Military."
"Okay..." Jane smiles, "that's impressive. Why did you leave? I mean if you don't mind me asking?"
Lena drops her head and takes a deep breath. When she finally looks up she isn't looking at us, she's looking at Becca. "I got a medical discharge." She says before turning to look at us.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Jane smiles softly.
"Don't be." Lena admits. "I'm not. It was the right time for me. Anyway, when I left the military I went home, well to my parents farm, spent a few months there before I bumped into an old friend." Lena smiles. "She told me the company she works for was looking for a pilot. Two weeks later I get the call saying the job is mine if I want it. Four months later I find my myself in Rome with a newly married couple who insisted on me and Becca joining them for lunch." Lena smiles.
I lift my hand and signal the waiter over. I turn just in time to see Lena reach into her bag and pull out her purse. "No, Lena." I lean over the table to stop her. "Please, let me."
"Maura..." Lena starts.
"Please..." I interrupt. "It's the least I can do. Did you see my wife's smile while she was driving that car." I smile. "Please."
"Okay." Lena nods, before putting her purse back into her bag. "But next time, it's on me."
I pull my card from my bag and go to hand it over to the waiter. When I realise what I'm doing my hand stops mid air and I turn to look at Jane. I don't want to use my card and have it tracked by Hoyt or someone he is working with.
Jane places a hand on my shoulder. "It's fine, Maura."
"Are you sure?" I ask, still uncertain.
Jane nods. "It's okay. Frost'll cover it up."
…
JANE'S POV
I turn and see both Lena and Becca looking suspiciously at us both. I understand their concern, they've just heard me telling Maura that'll Frost will cover up everything either of one us spends on our cards. I know that I can't just leave it like that, they will eventually start asking questions, and their questions could lead to Hoyt finding us.
"I...erm..." I stammer. I have no idea what I'm meant to say.
"Jane..." Maura says softly while placing her hand on my thigh and gently squeezing. I know she is trying to tell me I don't owe them an explanation.
I smile softly at Maura before I turn back to face Lena and Becca. "Okay," I lean forward and rest my elbows on the table in front of us. "You know I'm a detective, right? Well I've kinda got my own person stalker. He's in prison, but my partner found some...let's just say, he found something I hoped he never would, he told me and now we all think he's going to attempt to escape custody to get to me again. That's why I'm carrying my gun."
I lower my head, taking in a few deep breaths before I look at them again. I don't know how they will react. I mean they are flying a detective and her wife to the Maldives. Very unlikely...but possibly with a serial killer following. I start talking again before either one can get a word in. "Neither of you are in danger. Frost...one of my partners, he's covering every track we leave behind. No one knows we are heading to the Maldives, except my partners and my Ma. We're as safe as we can get."
Becca takes a sip of her water before placing the glass back on the table and looking at me. "Don't feel like you have to protect us, Jane. Like you said, no one knows you're going to the Maldives. But if it would make you both feel safer we can always delete you from our records, make sure no one actually knows you're flying with us."
I smile at Becca before I start to get nervous. "Thank you. But you don't have to do that. Frost already has, he did it before we left Boston. I'm sorry but we can't..." I stop talking when the waiter comes back to the table and hands Maura her card.
"Excuse me," Lena says pulling her phone from her pocket. "I have to answer this."
…
MAURA'S POV
I can tell Becca is listening to half the conversation Lena is having over the phone. From what Lena is saying she's speaking to someone at the airport. I take the opportunity to talk quietly to Jane. I lean closer to Jane and place my hand back on her thigh. "You okay?" I whisper softly.
Jane slowly turns to face me. "They needed to know. I would've had to tell them anyway because Frost deleted us from their records. They would have started to ask questions." Jane tells me.
I nod. "I know." I glance at Lena and Becca to make sure they aren't playing any attention. "But are you okay?" I ask again. I know Jane well enough to know that when something is bothering her, or when she is scared she pulls back. It's like she builds a six foot wall around her, in less than a few seconds, and she lets no one break it down. Not even me.
"I'm fine." Jane says, playing her wedding ring.
I nod and decide not to push Jane to talk to me in front of Lena and Becca. I keep my hand on Jane's thigh while I take another sip of wine. A few seconds later, Lena ends her phone call and turns to face us.
"The jet is ready when you two are." Lena says.
"Okay. We might as well get going back to the airport, haven't we?" I turn to Jane.
Jane nods. "Yep. Let's get going."
…
By the time they get back to the airport Jane and Maura have finished filling both Lena and Becca in about Hoyt. They hadn't mentioned any names and kept nearly all the details to themselves. Lena and Becca never questioned anything, they both knew that if it was important for them to know anything that Jane and Maura would them.
Less than half an hour later the jet was back up in the sky flying towards the Maldives.
…
MAURA'S POV
We've been in the air for about twenty minutes and me and Jane have barely said one word to each other. I tried to sit opposite her when we sat down but again Jane pulled me to sit on her knee. I didn't try and pull away, knowing that being like this was the only way I will be close to Jane right now.
"You know..." Jane whispers as she takes hold of my left hand and squeezing slightly. "You know I meant it, don't you? When I said I loved you."
I nod and pull back slightly so I can properly look at Jane. "I know you meant it, Jane. You wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it."
Jane smiles at me slightly before turning to look back out the window.
I watch her for a few minutes before I interrupt the silence that has fell upon us again. "Why did you tell Lena and Becca that Hoyt was after you and not me."
Jane slowly turns to face me. She keeps her gaze down, so she can avoid mine.
"Baby..."
"It makes it easier. If I say it out loud..." Jane pauses for a second as she takes in a few deep breaths. Once she opens her eyes she meets my gaze. Her eyes are shining with a few unshed tears. "If I say it out loud it makes it all real. But right now...holding you like this, just the two of us, this makes it all feel like a sick joke. One that we'll both get over." Jane says before dropping her head to rest on my shoulder.
"Listen to me, Jane. Please." I beg. I wait for Jane to lift her head, but when she doesn't I move my shoulder slightly and place my fingers under her chin, giving her no option but to look at me. "Listen to me, sweetheart. Nothing is going to happen to us. Okay...we have two very good friends who also happen to be amazing detectives covering our tracks. We're safe, Jane."
Jane nods. "We're safe for now." She adds.
I stand up pulling Jane up with me and I drag her towards the couch. I push Jane down so she is laying on the couch and straddle her waist. She smirks at me as she lifts her hands to rest on my hips. "How about we catch up on some more sleep then when we wake up we'll be in the Maldives, about to get on a speedboat to take us to the island where we will be spending the next few weeks sunbathing, swimming, relaxing, making love and anything else we can think off. Barry and Vince will get in touch if we need to know anything, but until then lets just concentrate on us. Nothing but us."
Jane nods before she moves her right hand from my hip to behind my neck and pulls me down into a slow kiss. Jane's the first to pull away. "Nothing but us from now on. I promise." Jane says softly.