Jane closed her laptop and cringed softly at the big smile on her face.
Maura.
Everything about her, everything about that moment had clung to her senses with desperate clarity. From how she tasted, to how the movement of her hip grinding shamelessly into her warmth had caused the bed springs to shift and sigh. Everything…
Jane pushed the laptop off her lap and shook her head at herself. She should try and sleep as Maura suggested but all she really wanted was to have Maura in her arms again. To have the other woman's arms wrapped around her shoulders like she had the night before. She wanted to feel her, all of her.
"Take it easy Rizzoli." She chided her wondering thoughts with a shake of the head as she got up and tried to return to a sense of balance, because thinking about this, about Maura in this way… naked maybe, pressed against her maybe…. Kissing her…. "Alright." Jane waved off her thoughts again as she stood from the bed and moved to put her laptop away. "Tomorrow should be more interesting." She repeated from their conversation to get her brain to start latching onto other thoughts. There was her suit she had to hang up, the teacup to rinse out, she'd need to brush her teeth and then dry her hair. Thirty minutes had passed by with the detective busing herself with straightening things up in the hotel room and getting ready for bed. By the time she was able to turn the lights off and climb onto the full puffy mattress Jane sighed a long restless sigh.
There was a million and one reasons to be missing home right now but Jane Rizzoli could only think about the one. Her best friend, and their thing. The detective rested a palm on her own chest simply to appreciate the rise and fall of her own breathing as she thought. She was excited, the kind of excitement that came along with a new experience with someone you loved. She knew that Maura said she would wait however long it took Jane to be comfortable with herself, but Jane didn't want to wait anymore. She had never felt closer to the ME, and if there was any possibility of there being an ability to feel even closer to the other woman then Jane wanted it.
Maura was her best friend though, and whether she'd ask for the details or not over the years she knew the ME had certain… expectations of her lovers. She doubted the fact that she was a woman changed those expectations. Still, now laying in the dark she could safely say she was off to a good start. She was just a little nervous about how all that would shape up. At the end of the day she wanted Maura to feel like she hadn't with those other guys, she wanted her to feel special, loved….
Jane sighed to herself again as she tried to get more comfortable between the plush duvet and sheets. She knew deep down that the real way to show the other woman how true her love was for her was not just with physical intimacy. It was with where they went next. Telling people about them. Maura valued the truth just as much as she did and if things between them were accelerating in the direction Jane felt they were she knew that that would need to happen soon. Maura didn't even want to have an anniversary, that said everything Jane needed to know about how she felt.
The detective rolled over again in bed; restless with the idea of Maura's potential unhappiness and the current distance between her and all the people she loved. She was also maybe a little horny which certainly didn't make falling asleep any easier, no matter how hard she tried.
##
Maura smiled warmly as she opened the front door early the next morning. "Was it any trouble?" She certainly hoped not. Francesco Rizzoli Jr. looked like he had sleep walked here.
"Hey Maura." Frankie smiled as he heaved the large cow shank wrapped in brown butcher paper in his arms against his chest to get a better grip on it. "Nah, no trouble." He heaved it against his chest again.
"Come in, please." The ME stepped aside and watched as Frankie shifted against the weight of their dinner to slip out of his shoes. "Oh, don't bother." She patted his arm and motioned to the kitchen island that she had cleared off. Frankie grunted in thanks as he made it over to the island and laid the slab of meat down. The detective let out a large breath of relief and admired the enormity of the piece of meat before turning to look at the ME. They both chuckled.
"This was my mother's idea right?" He pointed.
Maura came to stand beside him. "Yes well, I am afraid I did not do much to dissuade her."
"Mm."
"It wasn't any trouble?" She asked again. The morning had barely spoken, and Frankie looked a bit scruffy around the edges, she had all plans to wake up and make the trip to the butcher herself, but Angela had texted her late last night that one of the butcher's sons had stopped by The Dirty Robber and had agreed to help them out. Frankie would pick up the cow shank when they opened to avoid a line and to save their precious cooking time. It had sounded as if she had yet to inform Frankie of the errand though which was why she was only partly surprised to see him this morning.
Frankie waved her off. "Ma called me last night. Pulled the whole I gave birth to you schtick, never fails."
"Well I am grateful." Maura adjusted her robe about her pajamas. "Can I offer you a cup of coffee?"
"Yeah sure, that'd be great." Frankie pulled the beanie he had been wearing from his head revealing a quaff of thick black hair and slipped out of his sneakers. "It's cold out there." He commented as he sat on an island stool and eyed the cow part taking up most of the island before him. Maura had turned to grab him a mug and began reciting the days humidity index to reassure him that warmer days were on the way. "So what are you guys gonna do with this thing?" She handed him a warm mug of coffee. "Thanks."
"Well." Maura put her hands on her hips and regarded the slab of meat thoughtfully. " The gastrocnemiust muscle is far larger than I anticipated it would be." She looked at him. "We are making osso buco with bone marrow sauce, Dijon potatoes." Frankie's eyes glazed over the same way Jane's always did. It made her chuckle. Out of the three of them he and Jane had near identical mannerisms. Behaviorally speaking she knew it was because Frankie had imprinted upon Jane at a young age. It was a phenomenon she took pleasure in recognizing. It was sweet.
"As the delivery boy I get first dibs right?" He asked bringing her out of her thoughts.
Maura smiled easily. "But of course." She looked back to the meat. "It is a good thing Tasha and Clara are joining us." She'd have to send them home with leftovers just to make room in her fridge.
Frankie chuckled as he took a sip of his coffee. "Still doesn't cover Janie not being here."
Maura let out a soft chuckle as well. "Yes well. I will freeze some for her so she doesn't feel left out." She went to get her own coffee cup.
"Good idea." Frankie's nod slowed down as he thought of something. "You hear from her at all?"
"Jane?"
"Yeah." He rested his mug down and regarded her with new attention.
"Yes, we spoke last night."
"She home sick yet?"
Maura let up a small smile. "She has no reason to be."
"Nah c'mon." He smiled too. "There's plenty to miss here in Boston if you ask me." Frankie poked the cow shank. "Osso buco." He offered with a raised brow.
Maura had the slightest feeling that he wasn't talking about the slab of raw meat that lay between them but that seemed a ridiculously paranoid train of thought to entertain, so she didn't. "It's a tremendous opportunity. I keep remaindering her."
Frankie nodded to himself though it appeared as he was agreeing with her. "Yeah, yeah it is." He took another sip of his coffee as he wondered how far he could push the issue. Maura had come to be like a sister to him, but she was Jane's best friend; there were certain things that they just didn't talk about. "So uh, you remember Gary from The Robber the other night?"
Maura blinked at the random question. "Garth?"
"Christ is that his name?" Frankie chuckled.
"It is of English origin; it means garden keeper."
"Well… The one from Boston Fire not the one from Narcotics."
"Oh, yes I do remember him."
"Well he wanted me to give him your number."
Maura hesitated. "My number is on the state website."
Frankie raised a brow. "Your personal number, Maura."
"Oh. I see."
The kitchen fell quiet.
Frankie sat up a little straighter. "He was asking about you, if you were seeing anyone or I dunno." He shrugged. "You guys seemed to get along at the bar I just thought I'd ask you first before I gave it to him."
Maura seemed to have recovered. "Please tell him I am flattered but not interested." She turned to touch up her coffee cup again and bring the pot over to Frankie to do the same to his mug.
"I'll let him know." He nodded. "Thanks." He motioned to his unnecessary refill finding it to be just as clear a boundary as ever.
"Of course." She returned the coffee pot to its place. They chatted over another cup of coffee about the upcoming wedding plans. Frankie asked Maura's recommendations of a suit style and the ME gladly brought out her laptop to show him some more "current" designs after he showed her the one he had in mind. Then Maura offered him a bite to eat, it was after all now eight in the morning, but Frankie declined. He and Nina had breakfast plans. He promised to be back in time to help with Sunday dinner. The ME saw him to the door and thanked him again for retrieving the beef shank before turning back into the kitchen and beginning to disassemble the meat from the bones and start a braising stew. At nine thirty Angela arrived to help with the early dinner preparations and then the two shared tea and biscuits while watching the news. She left for yoga at eleven and was on her way to pick up a flower display for the dining room table and some greens for a side salad by one. When the ME returned home she could hear the ruckus of laughter and music coming from her house before she could even enter the door.
"Aye Maura!" Tommy called when he noticed the ME enter the doorway with her arms full. "Let me get that for you." He hurried over to help. "How yuh doin'?" He asked genuinely as he grabbed the large brown paper bags out of her arms.
"I'm well thank you, Tommy." She smiled back as she slipped out of her heels. "I haven't seen you in some time."
"Yeah you missed Sunday dinner last week, what's up with that?" He asked over his shoulder as he walked the grocery bags into the kitchen.
"A work priority." Maura looked around her living room and smiled. Frankie and Nina were seated on the couch arguing playfully over watching baseball or basketball on her large flat screen while TJ sat on the ground between them with his face glued to George Herman's tank (which somehow had gotten downstairs and placed on the coffee table). Angela was in the kitchen stirring something that smelt deliciously of herbs and beef broth, and Ron sat at the island leaning forward with his elbows listening to the animated story Angela was telling him.
A part of her half-expected Jane to be dutifully chopping onions or taking out the kitchen prep trash or avoiding work all together. It really depended on their case load that week, but she realized that she wasn't there, and that it was too early for dinner to even be remotely ready, and that all of these people took refuge here, in her home, without Jane there to bind them to it.
"Aunty Mauwa!" TJ jumped up and tried his best not to run full speed over to hug her legs.
"Oh." Maura chuckled before patting him on the head when he collided with her leg. "Hello Thomas."
"I'm TJaaayyy" He whined cutely while looking up at her all smiles.
Maura smiled lovingly down at him. He was in fact an exact genetic replica of his father, and she wondered if he knew just how much she adored him. "But your birth certificate says Thomas."
"Nooooo." He let go of her legs.
"It does, I've seen it." She began walking toward the kitchen with him in toe.
"Nooo it doesn't."
"I'm certain of it." Maura nodded down at him seriously.
"Hey honey." Angela greeted. "How was yoga?" Angela watched as TJ followed the ME toward the cabinet where she retrieved a glass and a small plastic cup before filling them both with filtered water and handing the cup to TJ.
"It was lovely, thank you."
"They started up a new series at the hospital, you should come by." Ron nodded. "Hot yoga, ice yoga, tree yoga…"
"Doctor Leroy was telling me about the mental mindfulness grant you all received, congratulations." Maura nodded at Ron before looking down at TJ who was regarding his water dubiously before taking a few sips and looking up at her for approval. Maura nodded once and he took a few more sips.
"I think it will do the place some good honestly. Western medicine doesn't integrate enough meditative practices."
Maura nodded firmly at the statement. "My thoughts exactly." The two doctors in the room got into a discussion about the fundamental nature of the meditative state in regenerative therapy while TJ watched his grandmother cook for a while before looking for his father. When he found him taking out garbage from the kitchen, he became bored and wondered back into the living room where his aunt and uncle were talking quietly amongst themselves.
"—I just think we should let her tell us if there is anything going on."
"You see what I mean though?"
"Yeah, I mean what other explanation—Hey buddy." Frankie smiled easily as TJ came towards them. "What do you got there?"
"It's wader, Aunty Mauwa gave me some."
"That's awesome little man." Nina nodded before standing. "Come keep your uncle company while I got get some."
"Yeah come sit here." Frankie patted the couch where Nina was just sitting. "Let me teach you a thing or two about Celtics basketball."
Nina watched TJ climb up onto the couch while Frankie took his cup to avoid a spill. She smiled before turning her sites toward the kitchen. "Alright Moma Rizz what can I do?" They'd finish that conversation on the way home.
Several hours later Clara and Tasha showed up with a cheesecake and a bottle of prosecco. They snacked on a cheese board Maura prepared before taking a small intermission and heading into the main course of the dinner. Lydia had arrived a little later throughout the meal from work but it was sweet to see how excited both Tommy and TJ were at her presence to the table. Tasha talked about college while Clara and Ron shared office gossip with Angela. Nina and Frankie could be caught stealing soft glances at one another throughout the meal.
It was a near perfect evening. Even though everything tasted delicious, and everyone was having a good time Maura could not help but miss Jane's presence. Sunday Dinner before the Rizzoli's was usually a lonely one. Maybe she would have a small dinner party here and there, but nothing ever felt as warm as it did after meeting Jane and being accepted into her family like this. She missed the tall woman. For heaven's sake it had only been less than forty-eight hours, but it felt like a millennium sitting here without Jane at her side making snide comments or avoiding her gaze as she helped herself to fourths. Maura had realized earlier in the day that she needed to steel herself to the idea of Jane leaving for weeks at a time. She wanted her to feel fulfilled outside of BPD, wanted to be her best friend championing her on into success always, it was how they operated before they shared their feelings for one another, and it was how Maura wanted to continue to support her.
It was not all that simple though the pathologist was learning.
They were no longer just best friends rooting for the other, their lives intertwined and there was a cause and effect now to these decisions that each woman made individually. Intrinsically she knew this would be the case, logically it only made sense as they grew closer, but there was something emotional about the transition that caught the ME off guard.
##
"Wow." He almost didn't recognize her, almost.
Jane rolled her eyes as Cameron Davies approached her with a drink in his hand. "Shut up."
He grinned softly. "You look phenomenal, Rizzoli."
Jane avoided his gaze and scanned the large elegant federal building lobby. "I'm leaving as soon as the shrimp lady comes back around." The popcorn shrimp with garlic and lemon oil was just too good to not revisit.
"Yeah okay, I get it." He gave her the once over again. "You look great." He pointed.
"Thank you." Jane nodded once before giving him the once over. "You look like you always do." He was wearing a black suit and a burnt orange tie with a grey button down underneath. Somehow it worked for him bringing out his charming smile and greyish green eyes. Looking at Davies wasn't the worst thing in the world, but things were oh so different now, and she really only had eyes for Maura.
"You once said that was cute." He recalled.
"Did I have a fever?"
Davies chuckled. Jane looked absolutely stunning in this black dress and heels. It made him feel a little out of his league if he were honest. "Can I get you a drink?" He asked after noticing her hands empty. She had been standing with her small cohort of fellow recruits, but they seemed to disappear when they noticed him approaching.
Jane eyed him suspiciously before nodding. "One drink."
"One drink."
"I have to be up in the morning."
"You have to be up in the morning."
They had three drinks, and Davies introduced Jane to a few of his fellow supervisory special agents who weren't at all what she excepted them to be. Then Jane introduced them to the two other recruits with her and somehow the seven of them agreed to ditch the meet and greet Powwow in exchanged for a local bar right outside of campus called Fat Tom's Grill.
The beer was decent, and the onion rings were cheap.
It got late.
So late in fact that when Cameron offered to walk her and the two others back to the hotel on campus Jane felt inclined to agree. It was an expectantly fun night but the bitterness of the wind whipping past her bare legs and the musk of Davie's natural odor mixed with his cologne from the blazer draped over her shoulders sobered Jane rather quickly.
"—It's a new technique, the higher ups think it will be effective in administering aide to outer counties, but I don't think the spending plan is realistic." Davies was talking about work. She was more interested in it an hour ago when the four SSA's swapped stories of the glory days working in the field twenty-four seven. Now though she simply nodded as she grew tired and more and more aware of the time.
"What time is it?" Jane finally thought to ask.
Davie stopped mid-sentence and looked at his wristwatch as they walked along a scenic path past the visitor's center. "Close to ten fifteen." He looked back at her. "When do you guys need to be up?"
Jane wracked her brain for her itinerary. "Nine I think."
"You'll make it Rizzoli." He smiled encouragingly.
Jane nodded to herself. She hopped she could still catch Maura before the ME called it a night. Her cell phone was in her clutch which Cameron was holding along with his credentials chivalrously. Or at least that's what she supposed he supposed it seemed.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked after a few moments of silence walking along the path. The hotel was in sight now. It was a large building with old English architectural nods and one of his favorite buildings on campus. He was going to share this with Jane, but one glance at the other woman told him her mind was elsewhere.
"Maura." Jane said without thinking before looking at him quickly.
"Maura?" Davies furrowed a brow but then nodded. "She okay?"
Jane quickly worked to back track herself. "You guys are the ones working together, you should know."
He smiled. "She told you."
"Of course she didn't. Maura wouldn't, but I'm a cop remember?"
"So you figured it out?"
"What is it about?"
Cameron sighed softly to himself with a small smile as he watched the path before them. "Can't tell you. It's confidential."
"If you get her into any trouble—"
"It's nothing dangerous Rizzoli, just a consultation in an area of her expertise, plus I don't think she has much to worry about in ways of needing protection with her father being who he is."
Jane fell quiet, it was true but still, she had never shared that information with him and she doubted Maura had said two kind words to him all month let alone anything personal. "You looked her up?"
"Standard for outsourced consultations." He looked at her curiously. "Why?"
Jane shrugged. "Just asking."
"Hm." He nodded. "Anyway you leave tomorrow right? Need a ride to the airport?"
"No I'll—We'll." She tossed a thumb over her shoulder at the other two recruits walking a few paces behind them talking amongst themselves. "grab a cab after that last HR visit."
"I told you it would be nothing but paperwork."
"If I never write my name again for the rest of my life, I'd be fine"
He chuckled. "Everything is still done on paper, it's crazy to think about when you consider what this organization can do." They entered the hotel and all rode the elevator up together. Jane said good night to the other two recruits before slipping out of Davies blazer and handing it to him.
"Night Davies, thanks for the good time."
He smiled. "Course." Jane turned to leave, and he hesitated before calling after her. "Listen—" Jane raised a brow. "I don't mean to sound like an ass." She crossed her arms and leaned against her hotel room door. "But it's been on my mind, you've been on my—"
"—We missed our shot." Jane shrugged honestly and Cameron nodded.
"Yeah, I've been kicking myself over it." He admitted. Jane looked elsewhere. "You seem happy though."
She looked back at him. "I am."
"You really not gonna tell me who he is?"
Jane thought about it for a moment before shaking her head no. They were still working together and she and Maura had agreed to wait a month before revisiting the conversation of telling people. She liked Davies, she did, but he was very low on the list of people who had a right to know about her most intimate feelings, that and she couldn't help but feel protective over the ME. She knew what those background checks entailed. "Nah.." She grew visibly distracted.
"That because it's someone you shouldn't be with?" He asked.
Jane didn't know how to answer that. "We're taking our time."
Davies stuffed his hands into his suit pockets and nodded. "Good for you." They shared a quiet moment before Davies offered her a small albeit slightly awkward hug goodbye. "Look me up when you're in town next."
She nodded. "I will."
Once in the hotel room Jane reached for her cell phone and shot Maura a quick text before stepping into the bathroom and peeling the dress off herself and turning on the shower. With any luck she'd still be awake and they could at least say goodnight like they had been for the past two months, but with any more luck Maura would be fast asleep. She'd take either.
The water pressure at this hotel had to be a work of art because it was doing wonders to sooth the tension she realized she had been carrying around with her all day. Today had been very similar to the last; more paper work, more handshakes, more professional nods and shallow pleasantries…
It wasn't like an exhaustion she was used to. A hard day's work running down a perp took her out mentally sure, but she was always ready to jump out the bed the next morning fresh on the tails of a new lead. Tonight, Jane sunk into the hotel mattress and groaned softly as if being offered refuge from an endless wondering. She had absolutely zero intensions to get up and do it all over again tomorrow and If it weren't for her cell phone suddenly buzzing wildly beside her head signaling an incoming video call, she would have probably fallen asleep right then and there.
Maura was walking up her stairs clad in her favorite mauve pajama set with her hair tied into a messy ponytail. Jane smiled at her familiar features and how even at this hour they held a somewhat curious expression, as if she had just witnessed something peculiar through her microscope.
"Hello Jane." The ME greeted distractedly as she climbed the stairs.
"Dr. Maura Isles." She smiled. "Ohh let me say goodnight to George." Jane hurried when she noted the ME passing his tank on her way to her bedroom.
"Of course." Maura obliged by moving her tablet toward their tortoise's tank and waiting while Jane could be heard wishing him a good night. She continued into her bedroom while bringing the tablet camera back to face herself. "Do I get a good night then?"
Jane found the energy to prop herself up some in bed and put her free hand behind her head as she held her camera to look down at her. "You get a good morning and a good night." They hadn't communicated all day.
"Oh, lucky me."
"I think so."
The two shared small knowing smiles, Jane's grew lazily and Maura blushed. "Hello."
"Hey."
"How are you?" The ME asked as she got onto her bed. Jane looked utterly beat but really cute as well with her long black hair curling around her face like this.
"I'm okay, tired."
"Dehydrated."
"Mhm"
"I can tell."
Jane made a face and Maura chuckled. "You could be nice to me."
"I am nice to you." Maura looked offended and Jane laughed. "I saved you osso buco." She submitted as evidence.
"You did?"
"I did."
"Alright all is forgiven." Maura gave her a look. "How was dinner? Tasha come by?"
"She did. We had a lovely time. Clara was a delight as helped me with the dishes."
"He did? He paying his taxes yet too?"
"No not quite." Maura used her free hand to bring her blanket about her knees. "He was very helpful."
"He's growing up too fast.." Jane rubbed her face. "You remember when he was just a baby?"
"I do, vividly."
"Yeah?"
"Mm. You stayed over for a month; do you recall?"
Jane smiled a little to herself. "Yeah, we were helicopter aunts."
"I remember thinking it was nice to have you around."
"Why? Because I took out the recycling?"
Maura chuckled. It was only funny because they both knew Jane did that even when she didn't stay over. "Well a large amount of house projects got completed free of charge."
"Wow Maura." Jane faked a stern look. "You kept me around for free labor?"
"The lack of sleep and instant coffee was worth the gutter cleanings and the green bathroom mirror installation."
"Unbelievable." They laughed. "You used me."
Maura's smile was wide. "I enjoyed having the company as well, and TJ was such a pleasant baby."
Jane smiled at the memory. Some nights they'd just take turns passing him when their arms got tired. They'd make dinner, talk, watch movies, all while passing the sleeping infant. "I wish we were elephants." The detective groaned softly as she finally let herself relax a little more into the pillow.
Maura smiled softly at that. "You were so protective of him. I would classify you more in the Genus Ursus."
"Well his mother did just leave him on the doorstep." She shook her head. "I think Tommy's gonna propose… again."
"You cannot deny their compatibility."
"Yes I can."
"Jane."
The detective sighed. "She's not as bad as she was… Tommy too."
"They've matured, it's a part of life."
"Mhm." Jane thought back to TJ as a baby and staying at Maura's home to take care of him with the ME and her mother. "Y'know I kinda thought that maybe I would adopt him… if Tommy didn't get sober." Maura nodded once as she watched her. "That you would help me with him and –"
"Of course I would have." It didn't even require consideration.
"I know but that… doesn't that seem… I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I was gonna ask what you thought of it one night… but I felt… nervous." Maura tilted her head curiously. She had never heard of this, and they had spoken quite comfortably about that time many times before. "—Like what I was gonna ask you meant something else."
The ME nodded slowly when she began to understand. "Do you believe it did, back then?"
Jane shrugged. "I must have right?"
"Perhaps." The two fell into a thoughtful silence. "I am glad we are here Jane." The ME decided. "I don't mean physically, I would prefer you actually here with me." She explained with a small laugh at her lips. "Here as in… here."
Jane smiled before sighing. "I wish you were here." She watched the blonde's soft expression soften even further. "—Well actually, I wish I was there." She adjusted the camera.
"It cannot be that horrid." Maura teased.
"Yeah yeah I know…" Jane trailed off.
Maura studied her features for a moment before letting out a small sigh. She wished Jane truly were here, she knew how far the smallest act of physical comfort went for the other woman. Something was bothering Jane, and when she was ready to talk about it she would, but how could she make it better in the now?
"Shall I tell you about dinner?" She suggested.
Jane smiled a little as she brought her attention forward. "Yeah."
Maura got more comfortable under her sheets and watched as Jane did the same. "I wasn't at all prepared to change my recipe so many times." She began and Jane was already grinning. "It was intended to be a very classic expression of a colonial French dish—"
"—Let me guess, it turned into another Italian dinner?"
Maura rolled her eyes amusedly. "Dijon and Umbria are very different places."
"Yeah but once Ma gets something into her head that's it. I warned you."
They eventually both fell asleep talking on the phone and it wasn't until some ambient noise in the hotel hall woke her that Jane realized the call was still connected and that Maura was sleeping soundly just out of view of the tablet. She smirked a little at the ridiculousness of it all. They would see each other in less than twelve hours and they were staying up late like teenagers who had different home rooms.
"Hey Maur." She rasped. "Hang up 'kay?" She waited until a familiar rumble of wakefulness occurred and the blonde cutely realized their condition.
"Have I fallen asleep?" She asked still off camera.
Jane chuckled warmly. "Yeah… I'm on the pillow." She squinted to help Maura's sleepy search and then smiled at how confused the blonde seemed when she finally found the device. "I fell asleep too." She shared once they could look at each other properly.
Maura's confusion faded and an amused expression crossed her sleepy features. They stared at each other fondly before Maura's smile grew a little. "I completely disagree with the amount of distance between us." She whispered.
Jane could feel herself blush. "I'll fix it tomorrow, babe." She assured in a flippant way as if shrugging off a household chore after decades of togetherness. It made the ME giggle and then yawn.
"It would have been preferred if you were here to fix it now." The ME rebutted. Her very own blush tingling her cheeks. Jane's dark eyes were amused, her lips curled.
"Maura." She warned softly. "C'mon."
Maura's smile only grew. "My." She commented. "Detective Jane Rizzoli, without words?"
The detective exhaled amusedly as she found her footing. "You know if I was there I wouldn't need them."
"Perhaps." Maura hummed softly: loving the sudden raspy quality in the other woman's voice. "I suppose I shall be patient."
Jane chuckled and repositioned herself under her covers. The duvet was suddenly way too hot. "Yeah help me out a little huh? It's enough I'm still thinking about the other night, All I've been taking is cold showers, Maura." She complained. The blonde's unexpected laughter made her smile widely. "C'mon."
Maura was finding it hard to stop from smiling. "Oh Jane."
"Seriously. It's been hard to focus." The Boston native rubbed at her cheek to ease its pain.
"My apologies."
"You don't look sorry."
Maura thought about it for a moment. "You're right." She decided. "I'm not." Jane shook her head as they smiled at one another over their devices. Neither was sure how much time had passed or even what time it was, it didn't seem to matter much though.
"I'll be home soon."
"Hurry up but take your time."
Jane smiled. "Yes ma'am."
##
"Hot shot FBI Lady!"
Jane turned at the familiar voice and smiled while simultaneously rolling her eyes. There her youngest brother stood waving a sign in the busy Logan Airport Arrivals Terminal wearing a grey suit and possibly the cheekiest grin imaginable. "You gotta be kidding me." Jane grumbled as she wheeled her carry-on luggage toward him and the large posterboard that actually read "Hot Shot FBI Lady" scrawled hastily in black sharpie marker and had Jane's BPD recruit ID headshot xeroxed onto the center. "What the hell is this?" She laughed as she snatched the posterboard down from him.
Tommy could barely contain himself. "What? You don't like it?" Jane was already rolling it up. "Hey! That took me fifteen minutes to make!"
"Watch how long it takes me to burn it." She growled playfully to which Tommy only laughed and pulled her into a brotherly hug. "Hey, Tommy." She smiled a little. He was an idiot, but she loved him. "They separated and she watched fondly as he fussed over how to handle the locked potion of her suitcase handle. "What are you wearing?" She laughed when she noticed the suit again.
Tommy finally got the suitcase to cooperate. "I'm headed to work, limo driver's gotta look the part y'know?" He began leading her out toward the airport entrance where his company limo had been parked illegally. "Anyway I was already running some errands when Ma called saying she got caught up with something at the Robber, and Frankie was at work." He explained as they walked through the crowds.
Jane nodded. "Yeah you guys really, I could have just gotten a cab—"
"—So I called Maura and she was in some meeting and couldn't leave—"
"—It's the middle of the day, I'd have been fine." Did everyone forget she hunted murders for a living?
Tommy gave a her a look as if what she was suggesting was ridiculous. "We weren't gonna leave you stranded, Janie."
Jane sighed and sent him a lopsided smile. "Thanks."
"Course –Hey you missed a hell of a ball game the other day."
"Oh yeah?" She took a second to pinch the material of his suit as they neared the exit. "This is a nice suit."
He wiggled his eyebrows. "Wait till you see the limo."
It was impressive, even more so than Tommy actually being able to drive something without running anything over. Jane insisted on sitting in the front with him much to Tommy's displeasure but the two spent the ride to Jane's place in comfortable conversation. They talked about Sunday dinner and the Celtics game, the weather, TJ. She wasn't sure how, but it seemed Tommy picked up on her somewhat ambivalent attitude toward the trip. She was happy he didn't push; she had a feeling she understood but wasn't sure she could articulate to him well enough without mentioning her feelings for Maura. So he dropped her off at her place and promised to catch up with her and Frankie at The Robber that week.
Not four steps into her place did she get a call from her mother. Jane sighed but smiled as she picked up the device and stepped out of her sneakers.
"I swear you have this place wire tapped or something, how'd you know I just got in?"
"What's that honey?" Angela was still trying to figure out her new wireless headphones.
Jane shook her head. "Hey Ma!"
"Why are you yelling?"
She chuckled. "I thought you couldn't hear me."
"Hi sweetheart!" Her mother beamed as if the first four lines of their conversation had not happened at all and she had just picked up the phone.
Jane smiled. "Hey, Ma."
"Are you home? How was the trip? Are you hungry?"
Jane stepped into her kitchen and began to pour herself a glass of water. "Yeah I just got in, it was fine, I had a big breakfast at the hotel."
"Oh I'm glad, I was worried you weren't eating well enough up there."
"When have you known me not to eat enough?" She took a few large sips. "Maura said you made osso buco." She opened her freezer half expecting it to be in there.
"We did, oh you missed a good night honey. That Tasha is getting so big!"
Jane shook her head. "Don't remind me."
"Anyway, all the leftovers are all at Maura's so I guess you'll just have to come over to dinner tonight and tell us all about your trip. Maura said she was working late but you and I can get started."
She pulled an old carton of milk out of her refrigerator and sniffed its contents. "Yeah okay." She put it back and closed the door. "You okay? You hear from Pop at all?" There was a small pause on the other line. "Ma."
"He's getting some scans done on Wednesday, that's all I know."
"You going with him?"
"I can't, I close on Wednesday and honestly honey between the apologies and then calling I'm too tired."
Jane frowned. "No, I get it." Her father was exhausting. She got the sense that her mother just wanted to put some distance between him and the rest of them, and she respected that decision. "So who's going with him?"
"Someone from the clinic he's staying at."
"Oh." She turned over the emotion she was feeling. "He hasn't showed up again right? While I was gone?" She was certain Maura would have told her, but he could have also stopped by The Robber while her mother was at work. Jane started feeling a little guilty for not checking in earlier.
Angela sighed. "No."
"Well I guess whatever you said to him worked."
"Enough about your father."
Jane nodded. "Yeah." She looked at her watch. "So when you wanna eat tonight? I was thinking of stopping by BPD first."
"You just got back!"
"I know Mother, but I still work there."
"Is it so hard to just sit in one place and relax? You're going to work yourself into an early grave, Janie."
Jane rolled her eyes. "Ma all I've been doing all weekend is sitting and filling out papers."
"You didn't get to have any fun?"
"No—I mean I did, I guess. Some parts." She shook her head. "When should I come over?" They eventually agreed on five o'clock. It gave Jane enough time to shower and change into a worn work suit, but as she was slipping her right arm into, her blazer her cell phone went off signaling she was getting a call from Maura.
The ME must have had a similar sense her mother had because Jane was met with the same friction not even two minutes into the phone call.
"I don't understand." She said as she stepped into her office. "You're on your way here?"
Jane nodded. "Yeah."
"You are not due into work until tomorrow, Jane."
"Yeah Captain Obvious, I know."
There was a calculated pause on the other end. "Perhaps you should relax, enjoy the down time."
Jane sighed heavily. "You're starting to sound like my mother."
"Well." Maura sat down behind her desk. "That would not be negative. Angela is a very kind woman." Jane took an even breath and the ME chuckled. "Jane, you haven't missed anything."
The homicide detective plopped herself down on her couch and pouted. "How do you know? You're down there with all the dead people."
"There hasn't been any new dead people, that is how I know." She opened her laptop.
"Why does it feel like I have to go in and be there?"
"You have a problem yielding control?"
Jane sucked her teeth "Maura."
"Jane stay home, or go to my place and check on George."
"Don't you want to see me?"
Maura smiled at her final attempt. "I do, I've missed you dearly as you know. You cannot run into work the second you land hoping to solve a case in three hours though. It's unhealthy."
"So there is a case to solve?"
"Jane."
She groaned. "Yeah whatever." The ME chuckled. "Goodbye Dorthea."
"I will see you later."
"Yeah, maybe."
Her smile widened. "Maybe?"
"Yeah, I don't know anymore."
"How unfortunate."
"I know." There was a long pause. "You need me to pick anything up?"
"If you are out, soy milk?"
"Okay."
"Strawberries…" She opened an email distractedly.
"Yeah, alri—"
"—Organic, Jane."
"It's four extra dollars, Maura. George does not know the difference."
Maura paused what she was doing, "That is not true." The alarm in her voice was visceral.
"Okay organic organic." Jane shook her head as she stood. "Anything else?"
"No, thank you."
"Bye."
"Goodbye, Jane."