Author's note: thank you everyone, I hope you enjoy the sweetness because it might not last!

Chapter twenty-five – Let's Talk

Jane counted until five - frowned - and halfway between confusion and amusement, shook her head at her mother. Angela had been smiling dumbly at the screen - looking utterly happy - for the past ten minutes or so, now.

"Okay, what's happening? What's with the smile and the face?" Index finger pointed at the matriarch. As much as she was glad to see her mother like that, it still got her curiosity piqued.

Angela shrugged. Was she blushing? "Nothing, Janie. I'm just happy to know that everything's okay for the two of you. I miss you and Maura. It's not the same without the two of you, here."

Bullshit. There's something else and she won't tell me. "... Okay... We miss you too... I'll go, now. We're off for dinner in a few. Take care!"

"Jane! Wait..." Angela ran her tongue over her lips and looked down hesitantly. She sighed. "You know I love you, don't you?"

Nod, a slow one. What was going on, exactly?

"Then that's it. I just want you to remember that no matter what you choose or... Whatever... I love you and I will always do."

The computer turned dark but instead of moving on to another activity, Jane remained still and stared at it blankly. Perplexed. The Skype session had been an odd one to say the least.

A strong monoi fragrance took her back to reality and without saying a word, she looked at Maura stepping out of the bathroom. The honey blonde headed straight to the couch – sat on it – and began to apply body lotion on her timidly suntanned skin.

They had come back from Saona Island an hour ago. Relaxed and happy. Their first day spent out of the resort as a couple. It might have sounded stupid but it was an important step into their confusing relationship; the proof that it actually existed outside their Caribbean shelter.

The Club Med was a microcosm. Very well defined yet so far from reality. It cut them from the rest of the world and managed to make them forget about it too. A delicate context to develop the semblance of a relationship in where the slightest thing could be mistaken for a fling. And that wasn't what Jane wanted.

"Maur'?" Shaking voice, timid steps to the couch. The medical examiner looked up, all smile. What are you about to do, Rizzoli? "Do your parents know?"

Confused look. "Do they know what?" Without asking permission, Maura grabbed her partner's legs – settled them on her lap – and began to apply body lotion on them.

The sweet gesture made Jane smile. Briefly. The weight of the question she didn't dare to ask swept away the whole tenderness of the moment. She didn't even know where she was headed to with all of this.

Alright. Maybe she did and she was scared to find out something she dreaded.

"Do they know that you dated women? Date. Date women." Stupid grammar. Stupid thoughts. Stupid doubts.

"Yes, they do. One day they came to Boston and I told them that I would join them for dinner with the person who was sharing my life by then. It was Myriam. I didn't want to hide her from them. She made me happy."

Jane nodded slowly. Her eyes were focused on the honey blonde's hands going up and down her calves in one movement she found soothing, comforting. She swallowed hard nonetheless and moved on the couch nervously. "How did they take it?"

Maura shrugged but finally seemed to realize where the Italian was headed. She put the body lotion down on a pile of magazines and looked at her properly. "Fine. I know they have never been very demonstrative but I never had doubts over the fact that the only thing they want is my happiness. My mother is an artist, my father a professor... This wasn't even big news for them. They have always been surrounded by same-sex couples."

But Jane's silence and her obvious discomfort didn't reassure Maura. Suddenly worried, the scientist sat up and grabbed her partner's hand to hold it tight.

"Your parents love you, Jane. Your brothers too... And your friends, your colleagues. You don't have to be scared of their potential reaction if you ever wanted to... You know."

Four days. It had been four days since they had made such drastic change in their relation. Not even a week. Was it too early to talk about the near future? They weren't even in Boston. Everything looked like vacations. Definitely not the best moment to start anything and yet there they were, now; succumbing more to the flesh than openly talking about their feelings. It went with the context but perhaps they shouldn't remain quiet over the rest either.

"What are you expecting from us?" Wow, way to go clingy, Riz'.

As if Jane had been reading Maura's mind, her question hit the air with a delicate sincerity. Come on... It isn't as if she were asking you to marry her. It is fair. Answer. You owe that to her. The words rushed quietly to Maura's mind and for long seconds she tried to look for the most appropriate ones. Yet how to define something she had a hard time understanding herself?

"I want to give it a try and keep on... On feeling ridiculously happy... See where it goes and maybe when we turn eighty we will still be holding hands, with that dumb smile playing on our lips. Maybe. If that's what you want."

Maura blushed and looked down at her lap. She had never been very good at describing how she felt, even less when it came to romantic feelings. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know that for a fact but what if it scares you? Maybe you aren't ready for that.

"I like the idea."

She looked up again only to face a timid Jane now nervously playing with the hem of her shorts. The detective shrugged, smiled.

"It's sweet..." Mumbles. Couldn't she simply articulate for once? "When did you start having... I mean... When did you... Was it here or before? When did you start having feelings for me?" Talk about being a tad more direct. If she runs away, now you'll know why. You're a freak, Rizzoli.

But not a single door got slammed. Nobody ran away. Instead, Maura's features lit up as a bright smile played on her lips.

"About two years ago. I thought about you at some point and realized that you weren't just a friend to me but... My life doesn't make much sense when you aren't around."

The confession hit Jane like a ton of bricks and she suddenly forgot about her timidity. Shocked, she locked her eyes with Maura's hazel ones and scoffed. "Two years ago?" Nod. "That long?" Nod. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Maura shrugged and smiled apologetically before making a face. "It isn't that easy. I didn't want to embarrass you. I didn't know that you felt the same."

Valid point. And yet. "So it's not because of the whole Punta Cana thing? The cocktails, the sunsets...? You know, all the... The romantic scenery?"

"No!" Maura paused, frowned. "Maybe it helped. Maybe going away from Boston for a while pushed me to... I don't know... Relax and embrace my feelings...?"

Jane nodded and bit her lower lip. Now she felt guilty. She hadn't seen anything coming. Even now she thought about the last two years or so, she didn't find the slightest indication of her friend's feelings for her. Are you sure you're a detective?

"I'm sorry I missed it, your feelings and... And mine, let's face it." Disappointment kicked in. "It's frustrating. We made it here and suddenly playing the marriage game made me feel funny and... And then we kissed and... And bang. Two days later I tell you I love you when it usually takes me months to say it; if I say it at all. It's confusing. Because it's all been there for so long and I totally missed it."

Silence. One, two, three. Jane took a deep breath and locked her eyes with Maura's ones. The scientist was smiling peacefully. How could she be so calm? So serene.

"I think I'm a bit scared, Maur'. It's going fast – yet I love it – but what if once we come back to Boston it does not work anymore? This isn't our daily life. This is like vacations. I'm a bit anxious to break the news to my family but I'm mostly terrified at the potential prospect of losing you. I want all of this but I'm scared to wake up one day facing nothing but... But the failure of a relation that wouldn't have worked out and you wouldn't be by my side anymore. It's not I don't want to lose you. It's that I can't afford it. At any cost."

Silence. A too long one. Jane swallowed hard.

"You know, I'm not usually that cheesy."

The comment made Maura burst out laughing. Cupping the Italian's face, she bent over and captured her lips in a quiet kiss.

Hazel ones looked for dark ones. A smile echoed another one.

"You aren't cheesy. Just incredibly sweet." Everything will be alright. I will make sure it will. Trust me, please. We will do just fine. "You won't lose me. You will never lose me."

The determination in Maura's voice took Jane aback. How could the scientist be so sure? Nobody had a hold over feelings. Nobody could – unfortunately – be certain of such things.

Yet the honey blonde was sitting there – her brow furrowed and her chin up in defiance – claiming that she would always be there as if it were the most evident statement in the world.

No hives.

Jane pouted – lightly – before finally succumbing to a bright smile. "I hope Maura Isles holds her promises."

Nod. "She does."