I had a massage today. It was amazing. It was exactly what I needed. Back to work tomorrow.
WARNING: homophobic language
Jane weaved through the crowd of people. The music thumped so loud she could feel it vibrating throughout her whole body. She held on tightly to Robin's arm, linked with her own. A man crashed into them, yelled something inaudible as he disappeared through the crowd.
"I didn't mean to hurt him," Jane shouted. "But I can't be with him any longer."
Robin patted Jane's hand. "He's a dick. Always hated him. Felt like I couldn't tell you before. Sorry."
"Nah, you're right." They reached the far wall. Jane searched left and right, then tugged Robin towards the exit. "I don't even know what I saw in him. It was like I was blind."
"You know what they say, love is blind."
Letting go of Jane's arm, Robin gripped the side of a wooden board and pulled it aside.
She took her cell from her pocket and typed out a brief message. 'Dont be anywhere near Oak Square.'
Robin glanced down the gap she'd made. A man appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her arm.
"Get off her," Jane shouted, stuffing her cell into her pocket. "We're looking for the restroom. Unless you want blood all over your shoes."
He rolled his eyes. "Porta-potty outside." He pushed the board back into place and stood in front of it, folding his arms across his chest.
Jane linked Robin's arm again and they stepped back into the crowd just enough that the man wouldn't see them. Robin cupped her hands around Jane's ear. "The exit's completely blocked. They're using it as a staging area. I could see it but it's behind a load of boxes, amps, it'll take every officer we have to make it safe."
She pressed the speaker on her radio. "This is Rizzoli, we're at the south exit of the warehouse. Exit's blocked, it'll take too long to clear it."
While they waited for further instruction, Robin grabbed Jane's hand and pulled her through the crowd. She moved to the music, her whole body following the rhythm as though it was part of her. Jane closed her eyes and let herself be taken over by the beat.
"Everyone in place. We're about to cut the music. Everyone on the north side be prepared for a stampede. Rizzoli and Burke, stand by the exit, grab anyone trying to find another way out."
"We're up," Jane shouted, pulling Robin back towards the exit. The man, still stood by the board, narrowed his eyes. She shrugged. "False alarm, no blood." He closed his eyes, shook his head, and scurried off in the opposite direction.
"Now you and Danny are through, does this mean you're gonna be looking for a hot chick?"
"Not exactly."
The music cut out. Jane looked at Robin, and they shared the briefest nod. They stayed silent, watching the crowd as people looked around in confusion. The silence shifted to conversation.
"This is the Boston Police Department." The second the detective spoke, people began to scream and shout, and a large number of people ran in different directions. "Do not panic. Do not run. Non-uniformed officers will guide you towards the exits."
The kerfuffle continued for another twenty minutes as hundreds of people emptied the warehouse. Detective Hope, the lead on the raid, had the DJ in cuffs. Jane kept her eyes on the crowd, searching for anyone acting with suspicion.
"Come here," Jane said, tugging Robin away from the board. They stopped a few feet away. Jane angled herself so she could see the spot they'd left but focused most of her attention on Robin.
"Everything alright?" Robin asked.
"You think anyone's gonna run to an exit if we're stood looking like cops?"
Officers Garcia and Hall ran across the warehouse. Hall collided with a man running ahead of them. Before Jane could see what happened next, she spotted a woman with multi-coloured hair and a large purse struggling to get through a gap between the wall and the board.
"There," Jane shouted, rushing past Robin. She sprinted the few feet, stopping as the woman disappeared through the gap. She pushed the board further aside and squeezed over to the other side. She didn't have time to check if Robin was behind her. She thrust herself forward until the woman crash landed, with Jane on top of her. "Think you're gonna get away that easily?"
"Get your fucking hands off me. I know my rights."
"I know them too," Jane said, lifting the lid on the purse. She pulled out dozens of packets of various sizes, containing pills and powder. She scoffed and read her rights to her. She pulled her to her feet. "Next time you're guilty? Don't run. You could have walked out of here and we wouldn't have known any different."
The gap was larger on the way out. Robin's cheeks were red. She dusted off her hands, then wiped them on the shoulder of Jane's shirt. "Nice one Rizzoli."
X
By the end of the shift Jane was ready to go home. She sat down in the locker room and slowly unlaced her boots. She was tired, and her mind was already heading for sleep. Her fingers felt like carrots as each lace seemed incapable of loosening.
"If it isn't my fucking dyke fiancée," Danny shouted as he entered the locker room.
Jane glanced around her. Several officers from her shift were in various states of undress. "Shut up, Danny."
"Why should I?" His voice grew louder. He stepped up on top of one of the benches. "Why shouldn't I shout it from the fucking rooftops that you, Jane Rizzoli, fucked me around. Don't you think everyone here should know what a dirty little dyke you are?"
Several eyes landed on Jane. She could feel them staring. She kicked off her boots and stood up, grappling with Danny to pull him down from his pedestal, but he stood firm. "Stop. This isn't fair."
"Not fair?" He snorted laughter, his voice still loud. "Do you know what isn't fair? That you were fucking some two bit whore of a woman while you were supposed to be engaged to me. I asked you to marry me and you were fucking some lesbian dyke." He turned around; his arms outstretched. "Now you all know that you're working with an evil, vindictive fucking dyke. Jane Clementine Rizzoli is a great big raging dyke of a lesbian."
She tugged harder and he stepped down. His smile grew wider as everyone around them started whispering. Jane tried to block it all out, but the words 'dyke', 'lesbian', and 'fucked a woman' were loud enough that she could hear them.
Danny tapped her on the cheeks. "Enjoy your night, Janie. I'm gonna go and be a fucking hero cop while you go get fucked by your hot piece of fucking ass girlfriend." He licked his lips and gyrated his hips. "What I wouldn't give to have me a piece of that ass."
The whispers grew louder. A couple of people left, and others entered as they were about to begin their shift. Like Chinese whispers, the words spread through the officers in the locker room. Jane tapped her foot against the floor. She couldn't breathe. She lifted her clenched fist when Robin appeared, pulling her back. She dragged her into the women's showers.
"Cheating on your fucking dyke girl already, Janie?" Danny shouted. "Bet Burke loves a bit of Rizzoli ass, fucking lesbians."
The door to the showers closed and Jane turned around. Tears strolled down her cheeks as the adrenaline of the night wore off and she was left with Danny's words, spreading rapidly like wildfire throughout her workplace.
"Jane?" Robin rested a hand on her shoulder. "Ignore him. He's just bitter about the break-up."
She turned around. "He's right."
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't exactly break up with him before I started seeing someone. A woman." She swallowed. Her hands shook. Saying the words out loud somehow made it feel all the harder. "I'm gay. I'm…a raging lesbian dyke." She ran her hand through her hair and punched the air. "I fucked him over. He walked in on us. He deserves to be angry."
"No." Robin wrapped an arm around Jane's shoulder. Jane rested her head against her. "No matter what you did, he has no right to out you to the entire police department."
"I deserve it."
"No, you don't. You might deserve for everyone to know you cheated on him, but nobody has a right to out you. Nobody. Especially not someone like him."
"You're right." She wiped her eyes and stood up tall. "I don't have to fucking put up with this. I'm going back out there."
"Are you sure?"
"Fuck yes." She yanked open the door and returned to her locker to finish getting ready to go home. She reached for the handle and froze. Sprawled across it in large black letters were the words 'fucked up dyke'.
"That was quick!" someone shouted from across the room. "Can't have been anything special."
Laughter came from several directions. She fought against the sting of tears, tugged open her locker and quickly got her things together. She slammed her locker closed, pulled out a facial wipe from her backpack and rubbed it against the letters. Several pairs of eyes stared at her as she failed to remove even an inch.
The same voice shouted again. "Can't get rid of the gay that easily."
"Jane," Robin grabbed her wrist. "It's okay. Go home. I'll sort it."
"No, I need to," Jane said, pushing her hand so hard against the metal door that she banged her palm against it. She dropped the wipe and banged the door a handful of times. The tears strolled down her cheeks. She stopped, staring down at her feet.
"Go," Robin whispered, placing a hand on her back.
She took a moment to breathe, to find enough energy to move. She brushed the tears from her cheeks and stood up tall. She glanced over to Officer Rollins, who smirked at her. His words still imprinted in her mind. Every step she took towards the exit, pairs of eyes followed her. Danny had disappeared. But several of the officers on his shift watched her until she left the room.
X
Throwing herself down on Maura's bed, Jane let out a long, loud groan. She sat up and punched the sheets several times like a toddler having a tantrum.
"I have a martial arts dummy, if you need it."
Jane jumped up at the sound of Maura's voice. She pulled her into her arms and kissed her with such force she stepped back suddenly. "I'm sorry. That wasn't right."
"You don't need to apologise for being a little rough," Maura said, gripping Jane's hand. "Thanks for your message, by the way. I'd done a drop at the rave, but I didn't stay. It's not really the same if I'm not looking for sex."
Maura lifted Jane's hand between them and stared into her eyes. Jane stared back, could see an emotion in her eyes she'd not seen before. Maura chewed on her bottom lip. "I'd much rather come home to you. Though it has been a while since I've had the opportunity to be a little rougher with someone…"
"That turned you on?" Jane asked, narrowing her eyes. She sighed. "I'm just in a fucking foul mood."
"Come with me." Maura pulled her out of the bedroom. They stopped beside the martial arts dummy. Maura handed her the gloves. "Give him your hardest."
She strapped the gloves onto her hands and spent the next twenty minutes going at it with as much force as she could muster. Her chest ached, her heart beat fast, and yet she continued until she could barely stand. She wrapped her arms around the dummy to steady herself. She took a moment to breath, unstrapped the gloves, and turned to find Maura watching her from the couch.
"I know you're frustrated and upset…" her voice drifted off.
Jane threw herself onto the couch beside her. "Just say it."
"That was fucking hot."
Resting her head against Maura's shoulder, Jane scoffed loudly. "You're turned on?"
"It's like a party in my pants."
"God." Jane bit her lip and closed her eyes. "You know I need to go home eventually. I can't keep sleeping over. I'm running out of clothes."
"I know," Maura said. "I like you being here."
"I like me being here, too."
Maura drew circles across her knee. "Chelsea messaged to say her and Alex are picking up pizza on the way home. They've been out at some club and need something to soak up all the alcohol. I know it's late but, we have about an hour, if you want…"
She let out a low growl and jumped up. Maura jabbed her in the side playfully. Jane clenched her fist and jabbed her back, growling as she chased Maura into the bedroom.