Chapter 2: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!
A/N: I needed a one-day writing break from the heaviness of Family by Love (which was technically yesterday, but I had to finish up the end of the chapter), so you get this family fluff. 😊 As a reminder, Jackson is 9, Mia is 7, Sam is 4, and Ben is 2.
"Okay," Jane said out of breath as she ran up the stairs for the fifteenth time that hour, "the bags are all in the car, but what happened to the one suitcase and one carry-on per person rule?"
Maura raised a playful eyebrow as she watched her wife bound up the stairs. "Did you ever think that would actually happen?" she teased.
Jane smirked at Maura, who was standing at the top of the stairs with Ben on her hip. "I already gave you an extra since we combined the kids' stuff into two suitcases plus Ben's stroller," Jane said with a laugh. She left a kiss on Maura's cheek when she reached the top of the stairs to let her know that she was just teasing her.
"I need one for my clothes, one for all of our shoes, and one for bathroom necessities," Maura explained. "Besides, the last two have things for all six of us in them, so I don't think they should be counted as mine."
Jane laughed. "Are you saying I wouldn't have been able to make everything we actually need fit into in fewer suitcases?" Jane asked, raising her eyebrow in an unspoken challenge.
Maura returned Jane's laugh. "I'm not even going to touch that one," she said. "Anyway, Ben's ready and I have his carry-on, but the other three are still in their rooms."
"Alright, I'll get them," Jane said.
"I'm going to pack a couple of snacks for the kids," Maura said as she started down the stairs with their youngest, "then, I'll be ready."
"Pack some for me too?" Jane asked over her shoulder. Maura just laughed in response since they both knew Maura had already been including Jane when she said, "for the kids."
"Samantha Grace, are you ready?" Jane said as she walked into the four-year-old's room.
Sam instantly stopped what she was doing to turn to her mother with the sourest look she could muster. "Don't call me Samantha," she pouted with her hands on her hips.
"Aww, but I love the name Samantha," Jane said as she scooped her daughter off her feet and tickled her.
Sam tried to hold her pout, but she couldn't resist the tickling. Her sweet giggles bubbled up without her permission.
"Mama, stop!" Sam panted through her laughter. "Stop! Maaaammmmaaaaa!"
Finally, Jane relented and set the girl back on her feet.
"I'm ready, Mama," Sam told Jane once she had calmed down a bit.
"Can you show me, noodle?" Jane said.
Sam held out her dinosaur backpack for Jane to see. "I packed my cway-ans, my paw patwol cowowing book, and bun-bun," Sam explained showing Jane the crayons, paw patrol coloring book, and her favorite stuffed bunny rabbit stuffed haphazardly into her bag.
"Good job, noodle," Jane said. "Can you take your bag downstairs and help mommy and Ben?"
"Yes!" Sam said excitedly as she took the zipped-up bag back from Jane and ran out of the room.
Jane chuckled to herself, glanced one more time around Sam's room to make sure nothing was forgotten, and moved on to Mia's room. However, Mia wasn't in her room; Jane found both Mia and Jackson in Jackson's room. Mia was sitting on Jackson's bed swinging her feet back and forth with her ballet backpack lying next to her. Jackson was frustratedly trying to stuff his sweatshirt into his own Red Sox backpack, which looked like it might burst at the seams.
"Hey, buddy, do you need help?" Jane asked as she walked in his room.
"It doesn't fit," he said exasperatedly as he turned to look at Jane.
"Okay, what do you have in there?" Jane asked as she stepped over to his bed and pulled the sweatshirt out of his bag. Jane instantly started laughing when she saw what was in his bag. He had packed his full set of Harry Potter books, plus eight other paperback chapter books. Everyone may say that all their kids took after Jane, but it was moments like this that Jane saw how much they were like Maura too.
"Don't laugh at me," Jackson huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest and stomping his foot. He shot Mia a death glare when she started giggling as well.
"Jack, you don't need to bring this many books, buddy," Jane said as she desperately tried to stifle her laughter.
"JANE! JACKSON! MIA! We have to go!" Maura yelled up the stairs.
"We're coming!" Jane yelled back. "Give us two minutes!"
"I know you're a fast reader, but this is too many," Jane said as she unpacked his bag. "Since we're reading it together, I'll put Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in my bag, but let's leave the rest of the Harry Potter books at home. Then, pick two other chapter books. If you finish both before we get home, I'll let you download a book on your iPad."
"Okay, fine," he said. He laid out the chapter books on his bed to see what his options were. Jane packed his sweatshirt, tablet, and charger in his bag while she waited for him to make a decision.
"Pick, buddy," Jane hurried him along. Finally, he handed her two books, which she quickly put in the bag before zipping it up and handing it to him. "Go down and help mom get Sam and Ben in the car. Tell her Mia and I will be down in a minute."
"K, thanks, ma," he said and left the room.
"Alright, bug, show me what you have," Jane said, turning to Mia. Mia unzipped her bag, showing Jane her books and tablet. "Good job, M. Let's just grab a sweatshirt and you're good to go."
Mia hopped off the bed, and Jane followed her to her room, making sure she picked an appropriate sweatshirt for the plane.
When they got downstairs, Jane sent Mia to the car while she did one final check of the house to make sure everything was locked and ready for their absence. By the time she got to the car, all the kids were buckled in, and Maura was in the driver's seat.
Maura smirked as she watched her wife realize that she wouldn't be driving today – something they playfully fought over every time they went somewhere together. "You snooze, you lose," Maura said to Jane when Jane climbed into the passenger seat.
Jane snorted in laughter. "The kids are teaching you too many idioms," she said as Maura pulled out of the driveway.
"Actually, I learned that one from you," Maura countered, throwing a smile at Jane when she paused to shift the car from reverse to drive.
Jane's breath caught in her throat at Maura's smile. Sometimes, it surprised her that she still had moments like this – moments when Maura's glowing dimpled smile and twinkling hazel eyes took her breath away, moments when she fell impossibly deeper in love with her wife.
Hours later, they were standing outside Orlando International Airport waiting for the hotel shuttle that would take them to Universal Studios and Portofino Bay Resort Hotel. Maura and Jane were both beyond irritable after traveling with four kids, but they were trying to hide it from the kids who were over-excited.
Maura hated travelling in coach, but they had agreed that the ability to fit their whole family in one row outweighed the benefits of first class. Maura, however, wasn't so sure she still agreed that this was true. She was sitting with Jackson and Ben while Jane sat with Mia and Sam across the aisle. Jackson had pretty much ignored them all once they were on the plane as he buried his nose in a book. Ben had been fussy, but since he had Maura's full attention, he had been manageable. On the other hand, Sam and Mia had spent the entire flight bickering. Jane had tried rearranging their seats multiple times to no avail. Nearing her wits' end, Jane had tried to get Maura to switch seats with her only for the idea to upset Ben in the process.
Luckily, the shuttle bus was not only playing a movie, but it was playing Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. All four kids were instantly glued to the TV. Jane took a deep breath and let her head rest against the seatback with her eyes closed in an attempt to let some of the built-up tension leave her body as the shuttle pulled away from the airport. She opened her eyes and turned her head when she felt Maura move into the seat next to her. They shared a soft smile, and Maura leaned over to give Jane a chaste kiss – a kiss that said everything they didn't want to put into words in front of the kids – a kiss that said, 'I'm sorry for snapping at you" and "I love you."
Maura reached over and threaded her fingers through Janes. They sat in silence, their hands linked, for the rest of the shuttle ride. Maura closed her eyes and ran through a few meditative techniques while Jane watched the scenery go by through the window. They drove through the streets of Orlando. When they got to the Universal Orlando entrance, Jane snapped a few photos through the window. The shuttle stopped at the Hard Rock Hotel before heading to Loews Portofino Bay Hotel where the Rizzoli-Isles family was staying.
The bellhop helped them unload their luggage, and Jane had to roll her eyes when their bags filled up two luggage carts to the point that they were overflowing. Jane wrangled the kids while Maura waited in line to check-in. Mia and Sam resumed their fighting from the plane until Jane relegated them to chairs on opposite sides of the lobby sitting area. Luckily, there weren't very many people in the lobby, so they weren't bothering anyone. Jackson had returned to reading his book, and Jane and Ben were sitting halfway between the girls, so Jane could keep an eye on them. Ben curled into Jane's lap, and Jane could tell by the way he was settling against her that he would be asleep within minutes.
Jane spotted Maura walking back over to them. She stopped in front of Jane and Ben, running her hand through Ben's curls. "He's sound asleep," she whispered with a smile. "The room's ready. Should we go up?"
"Definitely," Jane said quietly but fervently. She stood and shifted the sleeping toddler in her arms so that he was leaning against her shoulder. Maura led the family through a labyrinth of indoor and outdoor walkways. The kids were still bouncing off the walls, but since there weren't any other people around, Jane let them be a little more disruptive than they normally would be in the hopes that they would get out some of their pent-up energy from the plane ride.
Maura used her keycard to open the door to their suite. The kids burst through the door, and Maura held the door open for Jane and Ben. Jane looked around the suite, and said under her breath, "Jesus, Maur, this place is bigger than my apartment."
Maura laughed. "There are six of us," Maura said matter-of-factly. "There was only one person living in your apartment. Well, sometimes, two…" Maura added with a flirtatious wink and a smirk.
Jane rolled her eyes just as the three older kids came running back into the main room after checking out the two bedrooms.
"Mama, Mommy, this place is so cool!" Mia exclaimed loudly, her face alight with excitement.
"Shhh!" Maura hushed the kids. "Ben's asleep."
"Oh, sorry!" Mia said brightly.
Maura turned to Jane. "Why don't you go put him down in our bed?" she suggested.
Jane carried the sleeping toddler to the bedroom that had a single king-sized bed according to the kids. She situated the little boy in the middle of the bed, placing an extra pillow on either side of him for good measure. Before she left the room, she took a quick look around. Maura had insisted on booking the two-bedroom Portofino suite, which consisted of two bedrooms on either side of a sitting room. The part that had finally convinced Jane was the fact that the suite had three bathrooms. This would make it infinitely easier to start and end the day with four kids an admittedly high-maintenance wife.
Jane joined the rest of the family back in the living area. She paused and observed her family from a distance for a few moments. Maura was sitting on the couch with a park map laid out on the coffee table. The kids were crowded around the table, and the four of them were excitedly coming up with a plan for the next morning. Maura was the first to notice Jane's presence in the room. She looked up and flashed Jane a brilliant smile from across the room. "Come join us," she called, tilting her head to call Jane over to them.
Jane sat down on the couch next to Maura, who instantly grabbed Jane's hand while they both turned their attention back to the overexcited kids. The planning (and scheming) occupied the kids until the bellhop brought their bags. Jane stayed with the kids while Maura showed the bellhop where all the bags went. He promised to send up a travel crib within the hour so that they wouldn't have to worry about having it in time for the kids' bedtime.
"We shouldn't let Ben sleep too long," Maura said once the bellhop had left. "Otherwise, he won't sleep tonight."
"Yeah, okay," Jane groaned overdramatically. She knew Maura was right, but she hated waking sleeping kids – they were all as grumpy as Jane when they woke up.
Maura laughed. "I'll do it," she said. "But then, why don't you take the kids to the pool while I unpack. I'll get Ben into his swimsuit." Maura gave Jane a quick kiss before going back into their bedroom while Jane shuffled the other kids into the second bedroom.
The second bedroom was a mirror image of the one Maura and Jane were staying in with one exception: instead of one king-sized bed, there were two double beds. The kids had already claimed the beds with Jackson clearly having won the battle for the bed closer to the window. Mia and Sam would share the other bed while Ben would be in a traveling crib. After much negotiating, the kids had convinced Jane and Maura to put the crib in the kids' room. Maura and Jane had wanted to keep the crib in either the living room or their room so that he would have a better chance of sleeping, but when all the kids wanted was to be together, it was hard to say no. They may regret that in a few days when they have an overtired toddler on their hands, though.
Jane helped the kids find their swimsuits put on sunscreen before going to change into her own and covering up with shorts and a t-shirt. She took all four kids to the beach pool, which was one of three pools on the property. The pool had a fake beach and a water slide, so the kids were beyond excited. Jane found a spot on the "beach" where the water was about 10-12 inches deep. She could keep an eye on the older kids as they alternated between playing in the shallow water with Ben and going down the slide. Ben stayed by her, splashing around and having a blast, but he definitely preferred when his brother and sisters played with him.
Jane loved watching her kids play together. Mia and Sam's fight from earlier was long forgotten, and all four kids were having a great time. They were definitely each other's best friends, and nothing made Jane happier.
"Mommy!" Ben called out suddenly, and Jane turned to see a smiling Maura walking towards them. Maura kicked off her shoes by the chair where Jane had stored their things and waded into the water.
Ben reached his arms up in a silent request for Maura to pick him up, but Jane held him back. "You'll get mommy all wet, buddy," Jane said with a laugh. He gave her a pouty look, but he was quickly distracted when his siblings came running back over.
"You guys were gone longer than I expected," Maura said, turning to Jane.
"Sorry," Jane said quickly as she stood up and tried to wipe the sand off of her legs.
Maura laughed. "No, it's not a bad thing. I'm glad you guys are having fun," Maura said, "but we should probably feed the little monsters."
"I saw a pizza place on the way here," Jane said. "We could get pizza and watch a movie together in the room. I think it might be a good idea for them to have some quiet time."
Maura laughed again. "Yes, I think we all need some quiet time," she replied.
They gathered the kids and dried them off before heading back to the plaza. They stopped at Sal's Market Deli, which sold homemade pizzas, salads, and snacks. The pizza wouldn't be ready for an hour, so they took the kids back to the room to bathe and get into their pajamas (with the exception of Ben, who they decided to let run around in his diaper until after dinner so that he wouldn't get pizza all over his pajamas). Not quite an hour later, Maura and Jackson went down to pick up the pizza – and Maura insisted on adding a few salads to the order – while Jane finished getting the rest of the kids washed up.
Maura and Jackson also stopped at the Starbucks on their way back. Maura knew Jane would like a (decaf) coffee, and she wouldn't pass up a tea. Jackson also convinced Maura to let them get a frappuccino for the kids to share.
The six of them enjoyed their pizza and (forced) salads while watching Despicable Me. Sam and Ben both fell asleep before the end of the movie. Maura had cleaned every inch of the travel crib provided by the hotel while Jane and the kids were at the pool, so they were able to put him right to bed. They woke up Sam long enough to use the bathroom and brush her teeth, but she was sound asleep the second her head hit the pillow. Mia and Jackson stayed up in bed a while longer to read, but Maura and Jane heard them say goodnight to each other and turn off the lights well before their 9pm cut-off.
Jane was sitting on the couch with her feet resting on the coffee table flipping through the available channels on the TV when Maura came back into the living area after changing into her pajamas. Maura easily found her favorite spot curled into Jane's side with her feet tucked under her body. She rested her head against Jane's chest and wrapped her arm around Jane's body at the same time as Jane pulled her close, draping her arm around Maura's shoulders.
"Today may have been exhausting, but I love our family," Maura said quietly.
"Me too," Jane replied as she rested her cheek against the top of Maura's head. "Even when the kids are driving me crazy."
"I was thinking, we should talk about what we're willing to buy souvenir-wise," Maura said.
"We got them gift cards for souvenirs," Jane countered. "I thought that was the point."
"Jane, $50 buys like one thing here."
"Then they better pick wisely," Jane quipped, but when Maura gave her side a pinch, she conceded, "okay, fine, what do you have in mind."
"Well, we came primarily for Harry Potter," Maura said. "I was thinking for Jackson, Mia, and Sam, we could but them their wand, robes, and a pet. I'm less worried about Ben because I don't think he'll want very expensive things."
"No, he'll probably just want every stuffed animal or action figure he sees," Jane said with a laugh.
"Well, I still think we'll have an easier time agreeing what to get him," Maura said.
"I get the feeling you looked up these things, so I guess that sounds fine to me," Jane said. "And in all honesty, they are your kids so they'll probably all still spend their gift cards within the first day. I want to be reasonable, but I know this is a special trip. Let's just try to keep track and make sure it doesn't get out of control. We should also keep an eye on their individual purchases, so they all get around the same amount – cost-wise at least."
"I agree," Maura replied. "We can also reassess each evening after they go to bed."
"Sounds good."
"Now, I was also thinking we should go to bed early, as well," Maura said, flashing Jane a mischievous smile.
"I think that's the best idea you've had all night, Dr. Isles," Jane said as she stood up and offered Maura her hand before leading her back to their bedroom.
A/N: Jane focused chapter