Jane walked into the kitchen of their home. The two-a-day practices ended two weeks ago. Three weeks of one hundred percent energy, twice a day was over. But now, the energy was still one hundred percent and they had three hour strategy meetings every afternoon. Plus all of the extra training trying to help Sarah and Brooke get ready for their first game next week, she's barely gotten to see her girlfriend. Today was Friday, finally a night she was free.
She moved about the kitchen, opening random cabinets, looking for the coffee and the mugs. She moved into Maura's house last week. Jane was still trying to get used to the layout of the kitchen. She offered her old apartment to Brooke and Sarah. They moved in a couple of days ago.
She pulled a mug from the cabinet and poured herself and Maura a cup of coffee. She carried the two cups up the stairs and into the bedroom. Jane placed the two mugs of coffee on the side table and kissed her girlfriend softly. "Morning Maur," Jane whispered as her girlfriend began to stir.
"Hey," she sighed. "What time is it?"
"It's 6:30. I'm leaving for practice in a minute. I wanted to wake you up with a cup of coffee instead of a blaring alarm," Jane smiled.
"I appreciate it," Maura smiled as she snuggled further into the pillow. "I feel like I haven't seen you all week."
"That's going to change tonight. We are going on a date," Jane kissed her girlfriend's forehead. "Seven PM, don't be late," Jane finished her coffee as she stood. "I love you. I'll see you later," Jane left the bedroom and grabbed her keys.
Jane pulled into the sports complex, she parked her car next to Katie's and grabbed her bag. She was going to get in some early reps with her best friend and the rookies. Their first game was next week and Brooke got named the left striker beside her. They were going to work on their timing with the help of Katie and Sarah.
"Kate," Jane yelled as she walked into the locker room. "Ready?" Jane placed her bag at her locker and searched around for her friend. "Kate!" She yelled louder. Finally Jane heard sniffles coming from the bathroom stalls. "Katie?" Jane sighed as she knocked on the bathroom stall. "What happened?" The stall door opened and revealed a disheveled weeping Katie. Her eyes red and puffy, and her hair sticking up in all ends.
"Chris dumped me," she cried into her hands. Jane pulled her in for a tight hug running her hands through the knotted mess on top of Katie's head.
"What'd he say?" Jane whispered as she pulled her best friend closer.
"He said that the last eight months were great, but he's been slacking on his career. He wants to go play for a team in Europe. So, he dumped me," she cried into Jane's shoulder. "He basically said that I was holding him back."
"That's so not true. He's just intimidated by you," Jane explained. "He's hurt because he wasn't named a starter this year."
"He's still going to Europe on a loan," Katie sighed.
"And when he comes crawling back, you'll show him why he regrets breaking up with you," Jane encouraged. "Now wipe those tears, take a deep breath, wash your face, and come play some soccer," she laughed. "Why don't you come and have a girls night with Maura and I tonight? We'll watch some bad rom coms, eat all of the junk food I'll convince Maura to let me buy tonight, and drink all of her wine?"
"Okay," she sighed.
"I'll grab the rookies and meet you on the field," Jane rubbed her friends back and walked back into the locker room. She spotted Brooke and Sarah at their lockers. "Let's go rookies. Time to practice," Jane grabbed her cleats and socks and led the rookies to the field.
"Where's Katie?" Sarah asked.
"She's coming," Jane encouraged. "Now grab a ball," she picked one up for her and Katie and sat on the grass to put on her cleats.
This has become a routine. Katie and Jane and Brooke and Sarah, they would juggle the ball and run sprints before everyone showed up for practice. Jane stood as she juggled the ball on her own feet while the rookies passed it back and forth. Katie came running out of the tunnel and wiped her face one last time before she put her game face on.
"Ready?" Jane questioned as she stomped on the ball.
"Let's do this," Katie nodded and stood opposite of Jane.
They began their routine quietly. Usually there was laughing or conversation, but not today. Jane knew Katie needed quiet to work through her brain. To focus on the now and let her personal life fall away for practice. The rookie's were always quiet, focused on not dropping the ball. But, Katie and Jane had been doing this for so long they were always chatting. Not today, today they were silent.
With the nod of a head, Katie signalled to Jane that they were ready. "Okay," Jane caught the last pass Katie had sent. "Last one back has to buy lunch," Jane shouted as the four lined up.
"You're on," Brooke smirked.
"Three...Two...One…" Jane shouted as they took off. Jane sprinted, giving a slight tug at her best friend. Trying to put a smile on her face, pulling the competitiveness out of her.
"You're such a cheater," Katie laughed as she sprinted ahead.
Jane picked up her pace and caught up to her best friend. They were in the final stretch and Jane pulled a step ahead. "Yes!" She laughed as she raised her hands in victory. "Victory smells so sweet," she teased.
"You cheated," Katie shoved her, the forces causing Jane to fall.
"Just because you're having a gloomy day doesn't mean I'd let you win. I had plenty of gloomy days, and you never let me win," Jane laughed as she stood.
"Not true, on the days it was extremely hard to get you out of bed, I let you win." Katie confessed.
"What?" Jane turned to face her best friend. She stood, shocked. "Wait? Seriously?"
"Yes," Katie smiled. "It was something small that put a smile on your face," she shrugged and eyed her best friend. "You were a lot more gloomy than I am."
"I never knew that," Jane still stood shocked.
"Are we going to practice? Or are you guys just going to sit and confess your feelings all day?" Brooke yelled at the pair.
"Who invited the rookies?" Jane teased as she pointed over her shoulders. She gently nudged her best friend.
The group got started and ran drills to work on their timing. Brooke was improving with her speed and accuracy with the help of Jane. Katie had the ball at the half and slid the ball onto Jane's feet. Brooke made her run, curving below the 18' when Jane's pass hit her in stride. She one timed the ball into the top left corner of the goal. "Perfect!" Jane exclaimed. They've been working on this set for twenty minutes. Jane's pass was either off or Brooke's run was off, they couldn't get it right.
Finally, they nailed it.
"Nice run rookie. How long did that take you?" Ruby laughed as she yelled from the bench. "Make sure you just take notes on her soccer skills and not her life skills. Jane's never had her life put together quite right," she laughed. "Especially her taste in significant others," she laughed.
Katie looked at her best friend. The girl who has had herself pretty put together for someone who has gone through so much. She watched Jane clench her teeth and clench her fists. "Leave it Jane," she whispered.
"She looks pretty put together to me. Her girlfriend is hot," Brooke laughed. "Her life looks better than yours," Brooke yelled back towards Ruby. Just as the rest of the team started pouring out of the locker room. Ruby started storming towards the rookie, who was standing a good distance from Jane.
Jane has always known Ruby hated her. She wasn't sure if it was jealousy, homophobia, or she was just a mean person. Either way, Ruby was about to beat Brooke. Jane took off trying to insert herself between the two. Trying to slide in front of Brooke so she didn't get her ass kicked. Jane slid in between her teammates, pushing Brooke further back with her hand.
"Oh, so dykes stick together, huh?" Ruby smirked eerily. A smile Jane was afraid of. She looked into her eyes and saw that she wasn't going to stop. Ruby was going to punch someone and she didn't care who.
Jane was used to fighting her brothers. The amount of times she got bruised eyes or bloody noses was too high to count. But, her brother's never had this look in their eyes. They never fought for the purpose of harming the other person. Today, Jane was about to see what that felt like.
Ruby raised her clenched fist in an attempt to punch the brunette. Jane quickly blocked the punch but felt the jab to her lower ribs. "Fuck," Jane exploded. "Fuck you Ruby," she responded while she blocked another one of Ruby's fists. "Dude," Jane tried to talk to her in between blocking and dodging. Ruby's fist finally connected to Jane's face. "Damnit," Jane brought her hand to her eye.
"That's enough," Coach yelled from across the field. He rushed over to the pair. "What is going on?"
"She just came out of the locker room attacking me," Ruby lied.
"What?" Jane stood shocked, clutching her eye. "I never touched her," Jane grimaced as she felt blood dripping down her face. "Ah man," Jane clutched her eye again. Blood dripped down her face, onto her practice uniform. Katie walked up with an emergency ice pack and placed it on Jane's eye.
"Jane's right," Katie confessed to Danvers. "Ruby came out here swinging fists. She went after Brooke and Jane stepped in between."
"That's true," Sarah confessed. "I saw the whole thing."
"Ruby, pack your stuff. You're finished until we do an official investigation," Coach demanded.
"You're just going to take her word for it?" Ruby yelled. "Are you kidding?"
"Ruby, go," Danvers pointed to the locker room. Ruby turned and walked to the locker room fuming. "Jane, go see Dr. Isles," he sighed. "I'm very disappointed in you Rizzoli."
"But, I didn't…" Jane started. She was silenced by Danvers' hand and she sighed. "Fine," she swallowed her pride and walked towards Maura's office. The ice pack still clutched to her eye.
She knocked lightly on Maura's office door. She knew what was going to happen. Maura was going to freak and yell, and all she could do was just take it. "Come in," Jane heard from the other side of the door.
"Dr. Isles," Jane whispered as she opened the door slowly only revealing the good side of her face.
"Jane? I thought you had practice," Maura looked towards the half opened door.
"I did," Jane sighed as she opened the rest of the door. She revealed the bloody side of her face.
"You got into a fight?" Maura scolded. "Jane, what were you thinking?" Maura pulled Jane onto the exam table and instructed her to lay down. Maura sat at the end of the table and pulled Jane's head towards her.
"Ouch, Maur. Gentle," Jane wrinkled her face. "I didn't fight anyone. Ruby attacked me. She was going to attack Brooke, but I stood in the way," Jane explained as she felt Maura cleaning the wound on her eyebrow.
"You're going to need stitches," Maura sighed. Jane heard her leave her chair and walk over to her supply closet. "I can't believe you would get into a fight. Especially with the season starting this week. This is so irresponsible Jane," Maura ranted as she searched the closet. "We should really take you to a plastic surgeon for this," Maura looked over to Jane. "This is your face."
Maura turned to look at her girlfriend laying on the table. Jane stared back at her, just listening to Maura. Jane knew that no matter what she said, Maura wasn't going to listen. Maura had to say what she wanted to say, then Jane could speak.
"Are you finished?" Jane smirked.
"Don't smirk at me Jane," Maura warned. The smirk dropped from Jane's face. The warning from her girlfriend was clear. "I am finished."
"No plastic surgeon, the stitches will be hidden from my eyebrow. I couldn't let Ruby run her homophobic mouth and kill Brooke. She was on a rampage. So I stepped in. I'm sorry I got injured and couldn't block her jabs. I am not sorry I stood between Brooke and Ruby," Jane explained.
"What did she say?" Maura's sad face looked up at Jane as she sat back down in her original seat.
"She told Brooke to learn soccer from me but not look at my life. Then Brooke told her my life looked put together. Then Ruby said 'I guess dykes stick together'," Jane whispered. "I always wondered if she was homophobic or just a bitch. Today I got my answer."
Maura reached up to wipe a tear from under Jane's eye. "She really said that?" Maura whispered back. "Did you get a good punch in?"
"No I didn't touch her, except to block her shots. I didn't think she deserved my suspension too," Jane looked into Maura's surprised eyes. "I didn't want to make you mad."
"I'm not mad," Maura stroked Jane's cheek. "Now hold still while I stitch you up," Maura pulled the silk thread and began stitching together Jane's forehead.
"Fuck Maur," Jane flinched. "No anesthetic? Just going right in, huh?"
"You'll be fine. This is the quarter of the pain of those ribs and you took that pain like a champ," Maura winked down at her. "Now hold still," Maura continued with the needle. "Two stitches," Maura placed a bandaid on Jane's forehead. "Not too bad."
"Thank you," Jane sat up. "Oh, before I forget, Chris broke up with Katie last night," Jane relayed her best friend's life update.
"What?" Maura stood shocked.
"Something about her holding him back," Jane shrugged. "I invited her over for a movie and snacks tonight. I'm sorry about canceling our date."
"Katie's more important than our date," Maura leaned in to kiss Jane. "Plus once she falls asleep after she has too much wine, we can be alone in our bed," Maura winked.
"Oh god," Jane sighed as she pulled her girlfriend in for another kiss. Jane stood and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist. Her hand grasping the muscle of Maura's ass. She deepened the kiss and backed Maura up against her desk. "I swear if you weren't wearing pants right now, I would bring the bedroom here," Jane whispered against the blonde's lips.
"You stink," Maura laughed as she wrinkled her nose and pushed her girlfriend off. "You are smelly and sweaty. We'll let the bedroom stay in the bedroom," Maura winked.
"You're no fun," Jane sighed.
"I'm no fun?" Maura laughed. "I could bench you for a possible head injury," Maura warned. "Would that be more fun?"
"Ugh Maur," Jane whined. "I'm fine. Just a bit bloody. But, I didn't lose consciousness, I don't have a headache. I don't have a head injury," Jane rattled off.
"Okay then," Maura looked at Jane. "Just remember, I don't have to be fun. In the office I am the doctor. Now go back to practice and get ready for the game coming up. I'll see you for dinner," Maura pushed the brunette out the door. "I don't want to see you a second sooner."
"Yes Ma'am," Jane smirked and winked as she turned out the office door.