Jane sat in the divisional meeting willing it to end or hoping someone, anyone would put her out of her misery. She hated meetings. She always had but this had become her life now. Better hours. An office. More pay and mind-numbing meetings. She took a sip of her coffee. The warmth coupled with the caffeine provided a much-needed jolt. Thank goodness for coffee – lots and lots of coffee.
Her day had started earlier than usual because of this very meeting. Cavanaugh had changed the time and made it perfectly clear that she had to be here and that nothing short of something being wrong with the kids or Maura would be an acceptable excuse not to be.
This was her welcome to primetime – the initial meeting as the first female lieutenant to lead the elite homicide division in the history of the Boston Police Department and according to everyone this was huge. Jane just wanted to do her job.
She shifted in her chair as she watched Cavanaugh. She had been in this job for three weeks now but this was the first CompStat meeting where she would have to report out to the other commanders. She was nervous. Not because she didn't know her job but because she didn't want to embarrass Cavanaugh or herself for that matter.
She knew he was proud of her selection. She understood he knew there were naysayers because of the good old boy culture that still existed to some extent despite his and others efforts but Jane also understood that she was the best at what she did and deserved this chance. Sean wanted her to shine, to prove them all wrong. He had no doubt she would. She always did.
Cavanaugh went around the table with each of his lieutenants reporting out about their divisions. He got to Jane and tried not to show the pride he felt which was hard. Jane Rizzoli may not be his biological daughter but that simple fact didn't stop him from feeling as if she was.
"Lt. Rizzoli, homicide?" he asked yielding the floor to her.
Jane cleared her throat. "Captain, homicides are down compared to last year. Our clearance rate for the year sits at ninety-eight percent and we are an interview or two from clearing the opens on the board from this year. We have a full team working cold cases and there are some promising leads on a few of those. One of which we are waiting on DNA results. That's the good news.
The not so good news is that although we are still lower than last year at this same time there is a recent increase in homicides that are on our radar. Those homicides have recently been connected to the Irish gangs." Jane heard the murmuring. She knew this was coming. So did Cavanaugh. She had shared this information with him before the meeting. She didn't want him to be caught unaware.
"I heard the street gangs…" Collins from Special Victims started.
Jane interrupted him before he could finish his statement. "The street level gangs aren't involved in this. True they beef back and forth but that isn't what is fueling this latest uptick. One of Paddy Doyle's appeals was granted which means he will be returning to Boston for trial. That return is breathing new life into what's left of the Doyle Family. They seem to be making a push to regain some of what was taken or relinquished."
Jane watched Sean. He didn't flinch as she shared this information. He knew about Doyle's appeal. He knew there would be a new trial. Both of them were hopeful it would end like the first one with Doyle in jail incarcerated far from Boston.
"That doesn't make sense," Lieutenant Jamison said doubting Jane's intel. "They don't have the same juice they had before. Why would his family want to start a war they can't possibly win?"
"Doyle still has power. Still has connections," Jane replied. "No one ever believed that we knew everything he knew. We always thought there had to be additional information other than what was in his book out there that allowed him to maintain the power he has."
"You need to check your sources, Rizzoli," Collins challenged. Anger ran through her. Jane knew that his distrust had nothing to do with her information and everything to do with her gender under that bar on her shoulder. She had double checked her sources. She did know exactly what she was talking about and normally she would tell him that in a way that was uniquely hers but she took a deep breath calming herself before she answered.
"Lt. Collins…"
"Lt. Rizzoli knows what she is talking about," Martinez interrupted from the corner. Everyone turned. No one had seen him enter the meeting late. No one even knew he was back in Boston.
"I've been working drug shipment cases with NYPD and DC with the Feds on board as well as DEA. Lt. Rizzoli shared her thoughts with me a few weeks ago. I put my undercovers on it and they have confirmed what she is saying about the Irish gangs especially Paddy Doyle's group. He wants back in with a bigger share and the other families don't want him back.
"We can provide surveillance – recordings and pictures. Testimony. With Doyle winning that appeal, they've become pretty confident and are ramping up for a war. They want to take back the areas they ceded to others and it won't be pretty."
Collins glared at Martinez who was unaffected by the man's obvious hatred for him breaking ranks. He never liked the man anyway and Collins not talking to him in the hall because he sided with the woman wasn't going to hurt his feelings.
"All right," Cavanaugh said standing putting an end to the discussion, "I don't want a war in this city and I don't want Doyle's family gaining a stronghold again. Shut it down." Those around the table nodded.
"Hola," Martinez greeted her with that smile of his as everyone filed out the room. "Congratulations by the way. It was good to hear it was you."
"Thanks," she replied truly happy to see him. She remembered a time when that wasn't the case.
"You back now?" she asked. Rafael didn't seem to stay around long but he was good at what he did so BPD allowed him a lot of latitude.
"Only today," he replied with a sly smile.
"Thanks for the support," she said understanding his visit today had been for her.
"Don't worry about them, Jane. You know how they are. They weren't a fan of mine either."
"I've been through worse." As he squeezed her hand nodding, he knew she was referring in part to him. Their history had a few rough patches.
"They picked the best person, Jane. That's rare they make the right decisions but they did with you. Remember that. Okay?"
"Thank you, Rafi," she said touched by his words. "Appreciate you coming for this."
"You know I always love seeing you, Jane," he said flashing her that smile again. Jane was and would always be one of his favorites.
"You too Martinez," she replied chuckling. He still had his charm.
"Family okay?" he asked.
Though he had never told Jane, he was happy for her. When she married Maura and they started a family, the Jane Rizzoli he knew who was reckless with her well being for the purpose of solving the case became the Jane Rizzoli he saw before him now. She was grounded in a way he would have never imagined for her. He could see how content she was. And if he were being honest, he would have to admit that he was a bit jealous as well. The chemistry he had with Jane was real and he missed it but the chemistry she had with Maura went beyond words and was what he longed for with someone.
"Yeah. They're good." He smiled nodding.
"Four kids, Rizzoli?" he asked incredulously.
"What can I say Martinez?" she asked shrugging. "I wouldn't change it for anything though."
"Maura's damn lucky," he said believing that to be true.
"Think I'm the lucky one," she responded sincerely.
"We will agree you both are. See you around Rizzoli," he said winking at her before joining his unit down the hall.
Jane checked her watch. It had been a long morning and she made it through her first briefing. Thankfully it was lunchtime and she would have a much-deserved break with her brothers. Growing up with those two – the way they followed her and tried to gang up on her or the way she antagonized them and protected them – she would have never thought spending time with them like this was something she would look forward to as an adult. But she enjoyed her monthly lunches with Tommy and Frankie.
Yes, they had family dinners but this was something just the three of them shared and that was important to her. There was something comforting about having people you loved, who knew where you came from, what you went through and understood it and who could recall those shared experiences and either laugh or cry with you.
Lunch was always a hodgepodge of topics, which ranged primarily from their mother – that one was always entertaining, to their wives and depending on the season – the Patriots, the Red Sox, the Bruins and the Celtics. Most of their conversations were light and easy but sometimes they got heavy. Today she was hoping for the light version. She spotted Wilson at his desk.
Wilson was her assistant for the next ninety days or so and he was afraid of her, which pleased Jane immensely. With her promotion came Cavanaugh's old office and an assistant. And although his placement was temporary, she had chosen Officer Trevor Wilson who had just been released from probation when he ended up on the wrong side of Jane Rizzoli.
"Wilson."
"LT," he replied handing her some paperwork.
"Thank you. Is my wife here?"
"Yes ma'am," he answered avoiding looking directly at her. "She's in your office."
Jane reviewed then signed the document and handed it back to him before she opened the door to find one Dr. Maura Isles sitting in a chair with her legs crossed and the hem of her black dress well above her knee showing creamy skin that screamed to be touched. As she closed the door, Jane smiled as her eyes traveled down to the Louboutin dangling from her foot.
"Dr. Isles." A smile engulfed Maura's face as she shivered from the sound of her name being said with that raspy, sexy Jane Rizzoli voice.
"Lieutenant," she replied turning to see her beautiful wife smiling back at her.
"It's a pleasure to see you," Jane said as she walked towards Maura and gently placed her hand on her knee. Maura covered her hand with her own.
"Very forward of you." Jane cocked her eyebrow.
"Not as forward as I would like to be." Maura stood and stepped into Jane until she was sitting on the edge of her desk with Maura standing between her legs.
"How forward would you like to be Lieutenant?" Maura asked grabbing her wife's lapels then leaning in and kissing her.
"I don't think I can tell you that Dr. Isles. It is something that is best shown," she whispered her voice low.
"Oh my God! Do you not know how this happens?" Nina asked having appeared in the doorway without knocking holding Emma. Jane chuckled.
"I don't believe you understand how that happened," Jane responded.
"The conceiving part is different yes but it starts with the two of you acting like that."
"You're just jealous," Jane teased as she walked over and took Emma from her sister-in-law.
She peered at the little one sleeping. Her heart swelled with love for this child. Emma was the image of Maura as a baby. She was beautiful, calm, angelic. Her cheeks were full and had the imprint of Nina's lips with her blackberry colored lipstick on one of them. Jane kissed her forehead careful not to wake her.
"Didn't expect to see you today?" Jane said turning to her wife.
"I was dropping off your suit for tonight."
"Thought I was meeting you at home and we were riding together?" she asked as she swayed gently with Emma.
"You were but I thought since you were almost where we needed to be I would call the car service and we could come home together." Jane nodded then looked at her wife.
"What did Dr. Bennett say?" Jane asked.
"She said that everything was good and is happy with my recovery. She also gave me the green light for light exercise and…," Maura answered as she took Jane's place leaning against the desk.
"I'd be honored to give you a ride home."
"You two really need to get a room or do you just want me to leave?"
Maura laughed. "Nina, nothing inappropriate would ever happen in this office. That would not be at all professional."
"Professional has nothing to do with it. It's been weeks," Nina pointed out retrieving the baby from Jane.
"Hey, that is my kid," she protested.
"Too bad. Cavanaugh heard she was in the building and has demanded to see her. I thought Angela was bad but he is so much worse."
"Didn't think that was possible," Jane replied shaking her head.
"I've had to put him on restriction from the kids. You know they have Maura's parents, my mother and Angela wrapped around their manipulative little fingers and I thought he would swing the balance of power back but no. He is just as ridiculous." Jane laughed. Cavanaugh came off as a tough old school cop but when he was around their kids he was pure mush.
"I enjoy seeing him with the children," Maura observed. Both Jane and Nina nodded in agreement. They softened his edges.
"This puts us back a bit on time. You ready in about ten minutes?" Nina asked Maura.
"Ready for what?" Jane wanted to know.
"I am also here to pick up Nina because we are meeting Lauren," Maura responded.
"Is that still allowed?" Jane questioned. She wasn't sure it was a good thing for those three to continue to get together and discuss her and her brothers. Their mother yes. Them no. No good could possibly come from that for the Rizzoli siblings. She understood the whole 'let's make Lauren feel a part of the family' but now she should and the separate bonding period should be over. Yes, if pressed Jane would admit it was a double standard but only if she were pressed.
"Allowed?" Nina repeated keying in on the word. She was offended.
"Oh geez," Jane responded immediately realizing her mistake.
"Aren't you meeting your brothers for lunch today?" Maura inquired.
"Yeah but…"
"But what?" Nina asked. "It's allowed and the wives have to sit dutifully at home waiting for you to return?"
"Hey, I'm a wife too," Jane countered.
"Not in this scenario you aren't. You are one of them. Those who are allowed," Nina replied sarcastically.
"So not what I meant," Jane said trying to backtrack.
"I believe it is what you said," Maura offered.
"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" Jane asked Maura.
"Is she allowed?" Nina questioned. This had gone sideways quickly.
"Darling," Maura said sweetly as she smoothed Jane's lapels, "who do you think allows you three to get together?"
"Again really not what I meant."
"No worries," Maura replied hooking her fingers inside Jane's pants and pulling her to her, "you can make it up to me later."
"And when is she going to make it up to me?" Nina questioned playfully. Jane groaned. How the hell was she in trouble with two women?
"Peanut brittle," she replied much to Nina's delight.
"I expect it on my desk when I return, Lieutenant Rizzoli," she said as she left for Cavanaugh's office.
"Fine." Maura laughed. Jane smiled. She loved her laugh.
"Everything really okay with Dr. Bennett?" Jane asked as she led Maura to the chairs where they sat waiting for Nina and Emma to be done with Cavanaugh.
"Yes Jane," she replied her voice reassuring.
Jane bit her lip and nodded. She had believed she was going to lose Maura that night. Her wife had been rushed to the hospital when Jane found her incoherent in a pool of her own blood. From her point of view, the outlook did not look good. Reassuring things were said but the hope of those words never quite reached their eyes so Jane had prayed for her wife which was the only thing she could do. She had bargained with God because she nor her children could be without Maura.
Jane had attended mass the following Sunday after Dr. Bennett saved Maura. It had been part of the deal. He had kept is part. Dr. Bennett found the problem, stopped the bleeding saving her wife from surgery. She owed a debt to Dr. Bennett that she knew she could never repay but she had kept her end of the bargain with God.
"My numbers were good but not where she would like which is normal considering the amount of blood I lost. I am still iron deficient but there was significant improvement."
"You said she was happy with your recovery."
"Sweetie, she is."
"Did you tell her about the tiredness?"
"Yes and as I told you it is expected, Jane," Maura said reaching into her bag, pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to her wife. "Once I build up my iron stores I will be better."
"What's this?" she asked accepting the document.
"Read it." Jane's eyes traveled down the page then she smiled.
"Thank you," she said when she was done.
"You're welcome. I knew you needed reassurance because the word of your doctor wife somehow isn't worth anything," Maura replied rolling her eyes.
"So not true. Sometimes my doctor wife minimizes the situation in order to help her cop wife remain calm," Jane countered causing Maura to laugh.
"Uh, so this is like a permission slip?" Jane asked cocking her eyebrow.
"Yes," Maura replied smiling pointing to a section on the paper.
"Yes I did see that," Jane stated blushing.
"Well I would really like to test that section tonight," Maura said standing.
"You sure?"
"Oh definitely."
"Me too," she agreed. Maura picked up her bag.
"Jane, will you do me a favor?" she asked as her wife stood to walk her to the door.
"I don't know," she replied cautiously.
"I just gave birth to your child and you don't know?" Maura asked baiting her.
"All right," she conceded. Maura smirked. Cavanaugh wasn't the only tough cop so easily turned to mush.
"Ease up on Officer Wilson."
"Maura," she whined.
"Yes, he destroyed your crime scene in his enthusiasm but making him afraid of ever going to another one or continually of you doesn't help him."
"He decimated it, Maura," she replied trying to get her to understand.
"I know but you were able to solve the case and that young man will not look directly at you or me or anyone that comes through here. He made a mistake. So while you have him, teach him. Don't terrorize him. He would be afraid of you without the day to day interaction that is so Jane Rizzoli."
"What the hell does that mean?" Jane asked insulted.
"It means I love you and you can do better. Help him so when he leaves you in eighty-nine days he will be better for it."
"How did you know it was eighty-nine?" Jane questioned
"He has a countdown calendar," she replied smirking before she kissed Jane.
"Think about it?" she asked. Jane nodded.
